The Moving Day: Leaving Home Behind
by misto-shadow
Summary: Kagome is moving away from her home and friends. She doesn't get the chance to say goodbye, and when Inuyasha comes to get her he walks in on an empty house. Will they ever be reunited? InuKag MirSan, slight SessolderRin. Very near to completion!
1. Moving Day

**Disclaimer-** I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. Just go on and rub it in. Thanks. A lot.

Chapter One: Moving Day

She lay on her bed and cried. Cried so hard it made her chest ache, but that didn't stop her. They were moving. Moving away from their _home._ Moving away from friends, away from the God Tree (what's its name again?), away from the shrine…………away from their past full of such wonderful memories. _The past._ "Crap!" Kagome screeched as that awful thought dawned on her. _'Oh my God! I can't believe I almost forgot about THAT!'_ Launching herself off the bed she raced down the stairs and flew out the door, heading for the shrine. She didn't bother to stop and tell her family where she was going, they probably knew already. Kagome thought morosely as she jumped into the well, _'I don't need my bag; I won't be here for long. I have to start packing soon……..'_

"Huh?" echoed around inside the Bone Eaters Well as Kagome stared stupidly up at the shrine roof. Checking to make sure she still had the Shikon Jewel shards with her, she started to panic. "I can't get through! Oh crap! Inuyasha is going to flip his lid! I'm late as it is!" Jumping out she sat on the floor, staring at her open palms. _'Inuyasha……what am I going to do?' _Thoughts ran wild in her head as the realization of what just happened hit her like a ton of bricks. Tears stung her eyes, flowing freely down her cheeks as a lump rose in her throat. _'Why……why can't I get through? I need to go…..I have to tell them that I'm leaving…….they must know……'_

Inuyasha growled deep in his throat for the fifth time in the last two minutes. _'Where the hell is that wench? We need to find the shards NOW! Naraku isn't going to put a hold on his damn evil plans just Kagome is away!'_ "Why don't you go get Kagome instead of sitting there scowling, Inuyasha?" Miroku smirked as he said that, and Inuyasha just flashed him a glare.

"Shut up, monk! I'll go when I damn well feel like it! Now lay off!" Inuyasha snarled as he adjusted himself so he wasn't facing the rest of the gang. Currently they were all sitting in Kaedes hut, waiting for Kagome so they could continue their quest for the jewel shards. After a few more minutes of silence, Inuyasha was fed up with waiting and left the hut in a foul mood. "That wench better be at the well when I get there, or she's gonna get an earful from me when I go to get her….yet again! She needs to learn to be on time, stupid……." He grumbled as he headed for the Bone Eaters well, adding on some incoherent curses.

"Kagome! You need to get packing……" her mother called as she poked her head in through the shrine entrance. Then she sighed as she remembered Kagome had gone five hundred years into the past to break the news to her friends. But then she noticed Kagome, curled up at the base of the well, asleep. Walking over Mrs. Higurashi shook her daughters shoulder gently to wake the slumbering girl. "Unnnn…….go away….." Kagome groaned as she tried to fend off the person bringing her out of her dream. "Honey, you need to get packing for the move." Her mother persisted. "Did you tell your friends that you were leaving? Oh dear, what's wrong Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi questioned when she noticed Kagomes puffy red eyes and tear stained cheeks.

"Mum, I can't go……it won't let me…." She began to sob again, and her mom sat down and hugged Kagome, stroking her back in comfort. _'Or is it because I don't want to go? I don't want to say goodbye to Sango, and Miroku, and Shippo……..I don't want to say goodbye to Inuyasha.' _Mrs. Higurashi lead Kagome back to the house and tried to sooth her as best as she could. "Now go lie down and take a nap dear, it will help you feel better. I'll wake you in an hour or so." Kagome nodded her head as she snuggled into her pillow, worrying about her friends in the past and their fate if she didn't go back to stop Naraku. The last thing she thought of before drifting off into her dreamland was if he would _miss_ her.

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Hey peeps, what's happenin'? Well, there's my first chappie, yeah I know it's short, but I just needed it to get things going! I promise there will be longer ones in the near future! Well, this is a think of something write it down kinda story, so don't go askin' for any hints later on cause I don't know yet! But I do know how it ends...so yeah. If ya have any questions 'n stuff, I'd like to hear 'em. So please review! I'll have the next chapter up before you can say savvy! . 

MistoffeleesShadow


	2. The delay

**Disclaimer-** if you read chapter one, you should know already.

Chapter Two: The Delay

Kagome walked to Kaedes house, preparing her departure speech. On arrival, Inuyasha started yelling at her for being late. "Where the hell have you been, wench! You're late as usual! We need to find the shards, now let's get going!" he fumed. "I…..I can't, Inuyasha. I have to leave." She forced out, trying her hardest to hold in the tears that stung her eyes.

"What do you mean, you're leaving? You just got here and now you want to _leave_? At this rate Naraku is going to get the last few shards and all you can thing about is your stupid school and friends in the future!" Kagome ducked her head to hide the oncoming tears, while Inuyasha ranted and swore profusely about her stupid need to go home every five minutes to keep on the good side of her teachers while the world here was in turmoil or something like that. _'No……no Inuyasha it's not like that….you have to listen to me…please…' _Kagome could hold not hold in her tears any longer, nor could she hold back her rising fury over Inuyashas stupid habit of jumping to conclusions.

"Inuyasha, let her explain." Sango stepped forward, trying to calm him down. That did it. Inuyasha was totally pissed off now, I mean, they weren't even bothered that she was going! "LISTEN TO ME!" roared Kagome. All heads turned toward the enraged miko, and even Inuyasha was shocked to see tears streaming down her cheeks. "My family and I are _moving!_ We are leaving! Do you get it now? I am NOT coming back! Ever!"

Suddenly, she was standing outside the village, well, what was left of it. All the homes had been burned to the ground, leaving a charred and desolate waste land. Kagome ran to where Kaedes hut had been, praying her friends had not been inside. Inuyasha was standing in the middle of the wreckage, his back turned. "Inuyasha!" she yelped, relief flooding over her. He turned, and she was appalled by what she saw. His face was burned and disfigured, and his eyes were filled with hatred.

"Kagome, you betrayed us. You left us to die. Why did you leave us, Kagome? Why?" he was walking towards her, malice and hurt laced in his words. "Why, Kagome? Why?" she began to back away, only to find there was nothing behind her. "No…..no Inuyasha! I didn't betray you! What happened to you? Why are you acting this way?" Kagome pleaded, but Inuyasha simply kept coming, repeating the same thing over and over again. "You betrayed us, Kagome. Why? Why did you leave, Kagome?" Without thinking she took another step back, only to fall over the edge into nothing. "NOOO!" she screamed, hitting the floor with an audible thud. Jolting awake she sat there hugging her knees in a cold sweat.

"No……no I didn't betray them……I didn't…….I didn't…." she sobbed as fresh tears stung her eyes. "Kagome! Time to get up! You need to start packing!" Mrs. Higurashi called up the stairs. Wiping the tears off her face with the back of her hand, Kagome picked herself up off the floor and tried not to think about the Feudal Era as she began to packed her clothes away, wishing that this move was all just some sick joke and her mother would come through that door telling her it was all a lie. But Mrs. Higurashi never came. And all of Kagomes things were packed away and loaded onto the moving van.

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Inuyasha was walking towards the well, working himself into an even fouler mood by thinking of all the times Kagome had been late, and how he had to go get her…..blah blah blah. Suddenly, there was a horrific crash to his left. Instantly forgetting about his temper, he raced off in the direction of the noise. "Damn it! If this has something to do with Kagome I swear…." He trailed off as he came upon the scene. Three huge, ugly demons were trashing HIS woods! Drawing the Tetsaiga from its sheath he launched himself at the beasts, finding that they weren't just mindless idiots as he had thought when they moved away from his blade and retaliated. This might take a while.

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Kagome walked around the house forlornly as she recalled old memories in each room. Making her way up stairs she just stared at her empty room, noting how bare and boring it was now. Tears threatened her vision as she recalled the time her friends had met Inuyasha, talking up a storm with him. She choked on a little laugh as she remembered his stupid expression. Walking to the window Kagome looked out at the ancient tree in front of the house (somebody really has to help me out here!), picturing Inuyasha sitting up there in the past. _'I am really going to miss you, Inuyasha…….and my other friends as well…….Oh…I hope Shippo doesn't get to upset…' _With that Kagome broke down and began to cry as she sat in front of the window, her head leaned against the wall.

After a while her mother came upstairs to tell her it was time to leave. Seeing the state her daughter was in, she rubbed her back trying to console her. "Mum….I'm going to miss them so much!" Kagome sobbed as her mother lead her down the stairs and out to the car. "It'll be okay Kagome, you will get used to our new home soon, okay? Then everything will be alright, and maybe once we're settled in you can come back and visit your friends. Does that sound good?" Kagome nodded, but it didn't make her feel any better. She didn't think she would ever see her Feudal Era friends again, even if she did come back. Trying to get into a comfortable position in her seat, she drifted into a fitful sleep.

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Inuyasha had just finished off the last demon, but he was dead tired and collapsed against the side of a freshly fallen tree, one of the many that had been knocked down during the fight. "I'll go get Kagome later…." And with that he gave into sleep, so deep and thick that not even dreams dared to interrupt it.

He awoke to the sound of Shippos voice yelling in his ear. "Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Wake up! You have to go get Kagome! Get up, you lazy dog!" Inuyashas eyes snapped open and he hit Shippo on the top of his head. "Shut up, you little brat! I'm tired!" But when he tried to fall back to sleep again, Mirokus voice penetrated the quiet. "It appears you had quite the brawl here, Inuyasha. No wonder you are tired. But the sun has gone down long ago and I don't think Kagome would be pleased if you went to get her now. You should probably wait until morning."

One of his eyes snapped open and he snarled, "Yeah, I am tired! Now leave me alone so I can sleep, damn it!" With that he launched himself off the ground and onto the branch of a nearby tree. Grunting at his bothersome companions Inuyasha let sleep claim him again, but not before a final thought crossed his mind. _'Where is Kagome? She should've been here by now…'_

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Souta shook Kagomes shoulder vigorously in an attempt to wake her. "Kagome! We're here! We're at our new home!" grunting at his last statement she said, "Our new _house,_ Souta, _house."_ And with that said she pulled her tired self out of the car and stared sleepy eyed up at the building in front of her. It was a pale blue, and about the same size as her old home. "Ugh….." Kagome grunted with dissatisfaction and drug her suitcase up the cement block steps and stopped on the porch. _'I wonder if Inuyasha will miss me…..' _she thought once more as she continued on into the empty house. She walked through two rooms and into another where her mother was, apparently this was going to be the kitchen. "Isn't it lovely, dear? I'm sure you'll feel right at home once you get used to the place! Well, go on, pick one of the two rooms upstairs for your room!" And with that Mrs. Higurashi pushed Kagome toward the wooden staircase. She had to admit, it was a very nice house, but it wasn't _home._

Walking up the stairs she looked curiously down the hallway at the third door. _'I thought mum said there were only two rooms?' _ Walking over to it with her suitcase of clothes still in hand, she opened it. Cocking her head Kagome looked up at the second staircase in front of her. Curiosity took over and she set the suitcase down, slowly making her way up the stairs. Upon reaching the top she found another door, and with a sharp tug of the handle she realized it was locked. _'Is this why mum said only two rooms? Because this one is locked?' _Lifting her head she looked up at the ledge above the door. _'Maybe……'_ reaching up and feeling around Kagome was disappointed. No key.

Blowing the bangs out of her eyes she was about to turn and leave, when she noticed a little inscription beside the door that had been uncovered when she exhaled. Rubbing the rest of the dust away Kagome read it:

**When all is gloomy and new**

**Look to the creaky step under**

**Your shoe**

She puzzled this for a moment, thinking the words over carefully in her head. Sighing in frustration she grumbled, "They should have a mat to put a spare key under or something!" Then it hit her. _'The creaky step under my shoe!'_

Kagome raced down the stairs and then started to come slowly back up. _'One….two…three….four….five…six…'_

And this continued until she reached the eleventh step, which groaned considerably when stepped on. Testing it one more time Kagome bent down and stared at it. What was she to do now? Thinking about the inscription on the door she wiped off the step with her hand, only to receive a splinter.

"Darn it!" she muttered as she pulled out the splinter. "What do I do now?" deciding to continue her search Kagome wiped off the walls around the step, and the steps above and below. Nothing. Pondering she turned around and sat down, wondering why her mother didn't just go fetch a bobby pin, or a credit card. A credit card! Pulling out her newly bought wallet she removed the fake little card board credit card. _'I hope this works!'_ getting up and walking to the door she slid the card down, but a few inches above the handle it stopped. She couldn't get it to go any further.

"Crud…." Was all she said as she walked down to look at the step again. Then, with an audible 'ha!' Kagome noticed a rectangular shaped indent on the front of the step. Carefully wiping it off so as not to get any more splinters, she read yet another inscription.

**Congrats, my friend!**

**You are a fairly good sleuth!**

**Now push this in and I will**

**Open my roof.**

'_Open its roof? Oh! That door leads to the attic! Duh!' _Pressing on the center of the writing Kagome found that it gave quite easily. The hidden button pushed back another inch and the top of the step flipped open. Peering in she found a strange, large key. It had quite an intricate design on the end. It appeared to be a tree, she was holding the leafy branches while the trunk continued on, its roots forming the part meant to go in the keyhole. Smiling excitedly she ran up to the door, shoved the key into the lock, and turned it. With an audible 'click' the door unlocked, leaving her to open it.

Glancing at the handle she grabbed it gently, almost as if it would burn her if she didn't touch it with care. Turning the knob slowly she opened the door and gasped at what she saw inside………… (A/N: Mwahahaha! I am SO evil!)

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Well, that's it for the second chappie, y'all! I hope this evil little cliffy will keep you coming back for more! No worries, it isn't going to be something stupid, like a closet or something. That would be so cruel for me to do, causing you nice little readers to wait in anticipation only to find me letting your imagination down with something simple! Hee hee……. Until next time my friends! Please review and tell me whatcha think!

Mistoffelees Shadow


	3. The Discoveries

**Disclaimer- **did you read chapter one? If you did, then you should know.

Chapter Three – The Wonderful, Amazing, and Horribly Disastrous Discoveries

His eyes snapped open in annoyance for the third time that night. Ever since Shippo had woken him up, Inuyasha had been slumbering fitfully. Something wasn't right, he just couldn't place it. Kagome had been late before, but she had never just decided to not come! Jumping out of the tree that had provided him with his temporary resting place, Inuyasha headed off in the direction of the Bone Eaters Well. _'All I'm going to do is go over and check up on her. Yeah. That's it. Everything will be fine and I will feel like an idiot for going just because of a bad feeling, but I must. I need to know she's safe.' _

Upon arrival at the well his uneasiness heightened. _'What if something IS wrong?' _He pondered, staring down into the well. _'What if something happened and she needed me and I wasn't there…..no! Her time is safer! Nothing could get her! I just need to shut up and stop worrying! Besides, I don't care. **What?**_ Inuyashas youkai roared to life. _**'Must care! Mate could be in trouble!** Feh! Shut up! I don't need anything from you right now!' _he shook his head, trying to clear away his troubled thoughts. It seemed this always happened at the worst of times.

After battling with himself for a few more minutes Inuyasha grunted and jumped into the well to ease his troubled mind. The bluish magic surrounded him and in an instant he was leaping out and landing on the wooden floor around the well. Padding softly toward Kagomes house, he sniffed the air. _'Hmmm… there were strange new people here…..men. Could the mother be searching for a new mate?' _(A/N: In case you're wondering, those were the movers!) He stood at the base of the Goshinboku, staring up at its ancient branches. He didn't know why, but a sudden fear settled in the pit of hi stomach. He jumped into the tree quickly so he could get this over with."Kagome….please be okay!" Inuyasha stared into her former window in shock. In a fit of disbelief he shoved it open, and jumped into the bare room.

"No…no! This isn't happening!" he cried out as he raced down the stairs. Wandering from room to room Inuyasha was met with the same empty silence. Finally realizing his horrible discovery, he trudged back up the stairs and into Kagomes old room. "No…..she's gone…Kagome left without even saying goodbye……why would she do that to us? To me?" he murmured, his voice laced with pain and sorrow. As he sat in the center of the room, he smelled something. Tears. They weren't exactly fresh, but they were there. Following his nose Inuyasha came to a stop at the window. He bent down and touched the carpet gently as a picture of Kagome crying here flashed in his mind.

'**_Mate gone….MUST FIND HER!' _**his youkai blood beat furiously through his veins. "I will go find her! I must know that she is alright!" Inuyasha stood and stared determinedly out the window. _'I will find Kagome and ask her why she left without even saying goodbye….' _And with that he launched himself out the window and into the cool night air. Sniffing he smelled Kagome, and followed the scent. _'Here'_ He came to a stop where her scent seemed to end and sniffed again. _'Stupid future machines!' _Inuyasha thought in an annoyed fashion as he picked up the scent of the family's car.

Racing through the darkness he followed it, followed the scent of the car that had carried his shard detector away. **_'What the hell? Shard detector? You ass! Kagome is our mate! Not shard detector!' _**his youkai roared as it fought to free itself and destroy anything in his path while searching for Kagome. _'Stop it! STOP!' _Inuyasha had stopped dead in his tracks and was shaking his head furiously. He was trying desperately to overcome his rage at the thought of calling Kagome such a meaningless thing. He sat o the side of the road and let his blood cool. _'I must find Kagome…I need her.' _Inuyasha sat for a while, simply staring up at the clouded sky, not bothering to think about concealing himself from the passing cars. They were so blind in the dark, so why was there a need to? Headlights.

"Hey! Freak show! Are you dead er sumthin'?" Some boneheaded teen yelled out his window as he passed, the laughter of his passengers quite audible in the background.

Inuyasha was instantly aware of the car distancing itself from him, anger boiling over into his facial features. "You'll pay for that…" he hissed as he leapt up and raced after the car. He easily closed the gap between himself and the idiot who didn't have enough sense to leave him alone, and yelled into the window. "Do I look dead to you? You wanna see how dead I am in a fight? Well? Answer me, asshole!" All the stunned teen could do was glance back and forth between the enraged hanyou and the road, trying his best not to crash while attempting to process the information his eyes were sending to his brain. Suddenly coming to the conclusion that this, this _thing _in running beside his car wasn't human, he decided to plead for his life. "Please! Please don't hurt me! I'll give you cash, my car, I'll give you my girlfriend! Just don't hurt me!" As he finished begging for his life said girlfriend in the passenger seat beside him erupted with fury. "WHAT? You jerk! I can't BELIEVE you just said that! How dare you offer me like some possession to be given away! In all my life I have never met such a sniveling ass only out to protect himself! Once this car stops I am gonna hit you where it hurts, baby. Oh yeah, and this time I REALLY mean it!"

Satisfied that the guy who had insulted him was going to get a thorough beating, even though it wouldn't be from him, Inuyasha slowed down and jogged off to the side of the road and stopped to watch the cars go by for a few seconds before remembering why he was here in the first place. _'Kagome….'_ He sniffed around a bit, trying to pick out her cars scent from all the gas fumes and other bothersome smells. Frankly, he was getting quite nauseous from it all. Suddenly, his tracking was interrupted by the plop of a large rain drop falling on his nose. _'Damn it! If I don't find Kagome soon this rain will wash away the only thing left I have to find her!' _ Picking up the scent once more he sped off after it. The rain continued to come, even though he was willing it with every fiber of his being to stop. The invisible trail he was following became less and less detectable, until it was washed away all together.

Inuyasha ran desperately on, trying to grasp onto the scent once more, knowing the effort was futile. "No…NO! I can't lose her! Kagome! KAGOME!" he cried out, slowing down and finally stopping, his last shred of hope in finding her gone. He had left the city behind, and was standing beside a large pasture occupied by night grazing or slumbering cows. The ones awake stared at him blankly, and then returned to their munching, flicking their ears every once and a while to shake off the rain. They would never understand or have to face his hopelessness and pain, and here in this open farmland he could not find any comfort, for he didn't know that only a few miles down the road was where Kagome now lived in her big, light blue farm house.

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Kagome stared into the dome shaped room in awe. It was a bit smaller than the roof itself, but that was expected seeing as how the roof was pointed, so there must have been some considerable amount of space between the actual roof and this room. But the shape of the room wasn't what Kagome was staring at. It was the _paintings!_ Paintings of all sizes and different colors that she hadn't seen before in her life! They were covering the spacious round room, all except for the highest point in the ceiling. She looked from one to the next, noting the detail in each as she saw before her battles of the ugliest beasts to some men sitting at a table feasting on bread and wine. There were fox hunts and dragons, majestic unicorns and hated ogres! Kagome even saw demons, slashing in a fight or striking a pose in front of beautiful scenery.

It was all so breath taking! Then, finally managing to draw her gaze away from the swirl of painted wonder, she looked at the bare spot at the peak of the ceiling. There was writing there, and it was big enough for her to read it comfortably even at this distance.

**You have found the haven that comforts the lost**

**This room is for the eyes of one who knows not of their **

**Home. What will be written in the books of time? Will **

**You bring joy to the empty pages? Tales of the home **

**Left behind? Or is sorrow your pen, tears your ink? The**

**Paint waits for your words, ready to comfort, and ready**

**To rejoice in new found freedom. Here in this place, this place **

**Of solitude and hope, your friends will comfort you from **

**Your lost home. All you need is to write out your plea for**

**Familiarity, and your story will adorn my never ending wall**

**So joyous faces you will see.**

Confused by the whole thing Kagome shook her head. "What?" Then, abandoning the text she looked around the room some more. The floor was polished and wooden, and a little over halfway across the room was a platform that continued the rest of the way back, about a foot higher than the rest of the floor. To the left was a large desk with beautifully carved legs and a high-backed chair to match. On it rested a big thick book in purple binding swirled with golden strands that resembled ivy. Then, for the first time she wondered, _'where is the light coming from?' _Glancing around she noticed a statue at the back of the platform made of stone that was coal black and polished to shine. It was of two dragons spouting fire at each other, one was on all fours with its head pointed up at the other dragon, which appeared to be flying and its tail coiled down attaching it to the base. What really caught Kagomes eye though was the fire they were spouting. It was crystal clear and the light filling the room was being emitted from it.

Walking over she stepped up onto the platform and made her way towards the grand statue. It was then she noticed that the dragons eyes on the ground were emerald green while the dragon looming above her had deep, sapphire blue eyes. She reached out and touched the glass flames, for if they had lit up when she had unlocked the door, they wouldn't be too warm to touch. With a surprised gasp she pulled her hand away. The flames were ice cold, and they didn't feel like glass……so what else could they be? "Are they crystal? Or diamond?" Kagome stared curiously at the flames, and then looked down at her feet to mull over the thought some more. Noticing a plaque at the base of the statue, she bent down inspect it.

**Obsidian Dragons of Earth and Air**

**Creator: Unknown**

**Eyes: Emeralds and sapphires**

**Flames: Crystal**

**Power Source: Unknown**

**The Obsidian Dragons are an ancient relic I found while traveling**

**deep underground. When I found them they were not alight, but as **

**soon as I touched them they came to life, so to speak. I brought them **

**to this mansion and put them in my favorite room. They have not **

**stopped glowing since.**

"Huh. That's really weird. I wonder how they stayed lit for so long…….wait a minute! _Mansion?_ This place isn't a mansion! It's a farm house! What the heck is going on here?" Puzzled, she looked for more information, but there was none to be found. That is, around the statue. Looking around once more, Kagome noticed a couple bookshelves on the opposite side of the room of the desk, and walked over to them. Skimming over the spines she found they weren't names of informational books or anything like that, they were names of _people._ Pulling one out in curiosity she opened it and read over the first page. It was written by hand, and it seemed to be that someone was writing down their life, or something like that. Pulling out another and another Kagome found they were all like this, people writing down their journeys and experiences, things about family and friends, and some even mentioned lost loves. _'Inuyasha….'_ But there was something that every book she looked at had in common. They were all written by people who had moved away and made this place their new home.

Finally she came upon a particularly old looking book, and she opened it. Even though the cover looked about as old as dirt, the pages appeared to be brand new, like all the other books. "Huh….odd. It looks like this book has never been opened. But if it wasn't, how could it have been written?...ah HA! The Obsidian Dragons! I found them!" Kagome exclaimed. Or rather, she had found more information about them. The top of the page had 'Obsidian Dragons' written on it in large lettering, and if it weren't for that she would have missed it while simply flipping through the pages quickly. Running over to the opposite side of the room she plopped herself down in the huge chair, suddenly feeling quite small. The desk was also quite large, and it seemed as though the set was built for someone who was seven or eight feet tall! But none the less it was quite comfortable, and Kagome was snuggled in and comfortable within seconds.

About ten or twenty minutes later she had finished reading Sir William Chases adventure across the sea to Japan and the discovery of the Obsidian Dragons. Then, her eyes widened in astonishment at the date. _'Summer of 1573? How on earth can this book be that old and still look new? What the heck is with this place?' _Dropping the book back onto the desk she raced out of the room, grabbed the key out of the lock, and ran down stairs. "Mama? Are you here? Mama!" "Yes, I'm here, Kagome. What is it? Have you finished unpacking your stuff? I figured you'd be asleep by now!" Mrs. Higurashi replied after giving a final shove to the stove the movers had brought in before leaving. "Mama, I have to show you something! It's amazing! Come on, you have to see!" Kagome tugged on her mamas' shirt like a small child would. "Alright, alright, I'm coming!" her mother laughed as Kagome drug her up the stairs and to the attic door. "Honey, that door is locked. I don't think we can get up here." Mrs. Higurashi smiled at her daughter warmly.

With that Kagome dug into her jeans pocket and pulled out the large attic key and waved it in front of her mamas' face. "We do now!" pushing the key into the lock she turned it until it clicked. Then, flashing a smile to her mama she opened the door and…….

Gaped in astonishment at the sight. It was a normal old, musty attic, complete with the finest cobwebs and designer bat droppings. Stepping into the bare, dusty room she stuttered in disbelief. "But…but there were books….and…and…" "Well….this is nice Kagome, but I really should get back to putting our things in order. The men coming tomorrow to help won't be pleased if they have to move _everything!"_ her mother patted her on the back and walked back downstairs. "What is with this place?" she roared angrily. Turning she stomped in a huff back downstairs, tripped over her forgotten suitcase in her hurry and landed on her stomach in front of the stairs leading down to the bottom floor.

"You okay sis?" Souta was coming up at the time and was startled to see his sister fall out of nowhere. "Yeah, I'll live." Kagome grunted as her little brother helped her up. "So which room are you taking?" he motioned to the two doors at the end of the hall. "Or are you already sleeping up there?" he cocked his head towards the attic stairs. "Huh, yeah right! I'm not sleeping up there! Bats…..Well, I guess I'll take that one." Kagome pointed to the one on her left, hoping it had a window facing out over the front of the house like her old room did. "Okay" Souta shrugged and walked to the other room dragging his suitcase behind him. Glaring one last time up the attic stairs Kagome picked up her suitcase and walked over to her new bedroom. "Please have a window……" she crossed her fingers, took a deep breath, and opened the door. "Yes!" she smiled triumphantly and walked into the room. It was a bit bigger than her old room, and it had two windows, one facing the front yard and one that looked out over the side yard, which she now realized was occupied by a small shed.

She dropped her suitcase in the middle of the room and walked over to the window on her left (the one facing the front yard). Staring out into the darkness she realized it was raining, and she sighed. _'Why did we have to come here?'_ As Kagome watched the rain fall her spirits sank even lower when she remembered.

_Flashback_

"_Bye guys! I'll see you later!" Kagome called out and ran up the stairs to her house. Panting, she walked in to find her mother and grandpa talking quietly in a heated discussion. At the sound of her entering her mother spun around and greeted her in surprise. "Oh! Hello Kagome! How was school?" Furrowing her brow Kagome looked puzzled at her mother. "What's going on, mama?" Mrs. Higurashi smiled sadly at her daughter and sighed. "Hun, I got a good job offer that would be making me more money than I am now." "That's great! But why are you so sad?" "It's pretty far away, so we have to move so I can make it to my new job." "WHAT! Mama! You don't have to take it, right! I mean, we're getting along fine without the extra money!" "Kagome, hear me out. I wouldn't have taken the job if I didn't need to. I………I got laid off at the office, so we have to move so I can reach my new job at a reasonable gas price." _

"……" _Kagome stared at her mother in disbelief. "Wha? Laid off?" Kagomes eyes began to fill with tears. "But what about my friends……..when are we moving?" "You must start packing" Mrs. Higurashi looked away from her daughter, trying to conceal the tears that sprung up in her eyes. "The movers are coming tomorrow, so we will probably be leaving in the late afternoon." "No….." Kagomes tears spilled over and she dropped to the floor. Her mama sat down beside her and began to gently rub her daughters back in comfort. That night she sat by her window and cried herself to sleep (A/N: that's why Inuyasha smelled tears). The next day was Saturday, and Kagome moped around the house, not even bothering to eat. She had called her friends and told them she was moving, and was sorry about the short notice but she had only just found out. _

_After that she lay down on her bed and cried. Cried so hard in made her chest ache……._

_End Flashback_

"Kagome……Kagome! Wake up, Kagome!" She tried to shrug off the annoying hand, but with no luck. Opening her eyes she blinked in the bright light. _'I must have fallen asleep…'_ she thought as her mother pulled her up off the floor. "Ugh…" Kagome groaned and stretched her stiff limbs, annoyed at herself for sleeping in such an uncomfortable position. "Come on dear, you need to get some breakfast and wash up! The men who agreed to come and help move our stuff in will be here in an hour or so." Kagome nodded with fake cheer at her mother, and then took her first good look around the room. "It's…….so boring!" She looked at the bland, cream colored walls with distaste. "Well, we can paint them once we're all settled in, if you like?" Mama Higurashi smiled at her daughter. _'I'm sure you'll settle in soon, Kagome!'_

"Yeah……….Hey mama?" "Hm?" "What about school? I mean, I can't start this late in the year at a new school, right?" Mrs. Higurashi laughed. "Nice try, Kagome! But you will be going to school and finish up the year!" "Aww….but I don't know anything about what they've been studying! I have barely been attending my old school! Do you think they will hold me back because of my poor attendance?" "I'm sure they'll give you the benefit of the doubt, Kagome." Her mother assured her and left the room. She sighed forlornly and walked over to the bathroom door, which was conveniently located in her room. Opening it she was about to get ready for a quick shower when she noticed there was a door on the other side. Curiously she walked over to it only to have the door opened on her face. "Oww! Who…." She looked down at Souta who was standing there trying not to laugh. "I'm sorry sis! Are you okay? It looks like we're gonna be sharing a bathroom!"

Kagome rubbed her nose and sighed. "This is going to be a long day….."

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Inuyasha was in no hurry to return to the Feudal Era. He trudged along the roadside, ignoring the fact that it was broad daylight and people could see him perfectly well in his red haori. He hadn't got much sleep because of the rain, and sleeping in a cow pasture isn't the best idea he had to stay out of sight. _'I wonder what Kagome is doing…..' _he thought forlornly as he reentered the city. Deciding to travel by rooftop Inuyasha jumped from building to building, and he arrived at the well sooner than he wanted to. _'What am I going to tell the others? Kagome just up and moved without telling us so we have to find the shards without her? I don't think we CAN find them without her……What do I care?' _He stood uncertainly on the ledge of the well. _'If she didn't bother to come and tell us she was going, then most likely she's happy to be gone! So I shouldn't worry about her….' _Leaping in the bluish colored light surrounded him and then he found himself looking up at the sky.

"What am I going to say?" Inuyasha thought out loud as he jumped from tree limb to limb, heading towards Kaedes village. Standing in front of her hut he faltered, _'what about Naraku? Kagome still has the shards we've collected of the Shikon no Tama, so is it pointless to continue searching? No matter if we get the rest of the shards or not, the jewel will never be complete without the ones Kagome has!' _Shaking his head in exasperation he stepped into the hut, and everyone's eyes were on him in an instant. The question everybody was thinking was voiced by Shippo. "Hey Inuyasha! Where's Kagome?"

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Hey everybody! Sorry it took so long for me to get this chapter up, but I hit a little snag while writing it. Oh, and thanks to Yasha'z Wifey Kyome for helping me out with the name of the God Tree. I'm really excited that I'm getting lots of reviews (well, for me anyway!) and I hope you continue to enjoy the story. I really don't know where I'm going with the mysterious attic, but I'll figure it out soon enough. Here's a list of all my awesome reviewers, just to give them thanks for the support!

**banxbadxkarma **thanks for helping me out with the little snag!

**Long Lost Dream37**

**Short Witty Name Goes Here**

**fmahanyougal**

**Avelyn Lauren**

**Yasha'z Wifey Kyome**

Without you peeps I would be too downhearted without any reviews to continue my story! So thanks a bunch!

Now on with the fic, later days!

Mistoffelees Shadow


	4. What Now?

**Disclaimer-** does this need to be here every chapter? I mean, I'm pretty sure if ya read the first chapter (and every one after that!) then you're pretty sick and tired of seeing this.

Chapter four: What Now?

"Hey, Inuyasha! Where's Kagome?" Inuyashas head was down so his bangs covered his eyes. Now he'd have to voice it. He'd have to actually admit to himself and tell the others that Kagome had unexpectedly moved and he wasn't able to find her. Shit. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't do it. Shippo was standing right in front of Inuyasha, so close he could reach out and touch him without moving. Looking up his eyes connected with Inuyashas, and then he was scared. Inuyasha had been staring at the floor, so what better way to see his face then to get right under him? For a few brief seconds Shippo and Inuyasha just stood, eyes locked. Fear and worry began to creep across Shippos features as he watched Inuyashas eyes swirl in pain and sorrow. "Inuyasha…..where's Kagome?" He asked once more, and he was almost afraid of what the hanyous' answer might be. "Inuyasha?" Miroku had spoken up now and was walking towards the non responsive half-demon.

Kaede and Sango looked at each other, the elderly woman wearing a grave expression. It was Sangos turn to pipe up. "Inuyasha…..did something happen to Kagome?" He finally managed to steel up his tough guy façade and face his companions, but no matter how experienced in hiding facial emotion he was, his eyes told them something wasn't right when he couldn't. "She's…….gone." He managed to whisper, his voice gruff, ducking his head back down to cover his face with his bangs so the gang couldn't see that his iron tough façade was melting away like butter. Unable to cope with the tension and every ones gaze, Inuyasha spun on his heel and bolted. "Kagome's…….gone?" Shippo uttered, totally flabbergasted by Inuyashas foreign new behavior. Well, everybody knew the two strong-headed teens had a 'thing', but no one really realized how a seemingly permanent separation would affect him. Kaede shook her head sadly, "this is surely going to take a toll on our young Inuyasha, and he was finally learning how to open up again…"

He ran. He ran, not caring where his feet were taking him. He just needed to get away, away from the questions, away from the confusion and pain. Why did he feel so alone and hurt now? _'She left without telling us, not even a note to explain why……but….but that isn't like Kagome! She had friends here, she liked it here! Well, she liked the good part, anyway. So why didn't she say goodbye? Was she taken! Did someone take her and her family moved away so they wouldn't have to explain? No…I would've known. I would've been able to tell……her last scent outside wasn't bad. She was unhappy though….' _Suddenly Inuyasha remembered the thought of her crying by her window. His feet slowed and came to a stop by a spring. Shuddering he looked away, not wanting to remember the time he had first met Kagome and was sat for his first time through a bridge and into the water below. Subconsciously he took a-hold of the rosary around his neck and rolled them between his fingers.

Looking down into the glass-like pool before him he frowned. There was a twig in his hair. Growling in annoyance he reached up and pulled it out, suddenly sensing someone else was here. No, scratch that, four someone's. Knowing all too well who they were he turned around looked at his worried companions who had just climbed down off of Kirara. "Inuyasha. Where. Is. Kagome." Sango stared at him hard, trying to will the words out of his mouth. He had regained his composure and stared back at her blankly, his mouth set in a firm line. Trying to think of the right words to say without upsetting his friends too much Inuyasha ran his clawed fingers through his hair. "She…..she left. Kagome moved away without so much as a goodbye or an explanatory letter and I couldn't find her." He shrugged, "so I don't see what your problem is, Kagome's probably happy wherever she is if she didn't bother to tell us she was leaving, so we don't need to worry about her. She's moved on, so we should too, and get back to hunting jewel shards."

Wrong move. "YOU DON'T EVEN CARE? How, how dare you act like we can simply move on! It's not like we lost a sandal or something! This is Kagome we're talking about here! AND DON'T EVEN START ABOUT THE JEWEL SHARDS, YOU HEARTLESS CREEP! Even with our collected jewel shards we can't just keep looking for the rest! WE HAVE LOST A DEAR FRIEND! What's your problem, Inuyasha!" Sango yelled at him, and Miroku tried to calm her by putting a hand on her shoulder, but she flung it away angrily. Shippo just stood behind Mirokus' leg, and the tears that blurred his vision spilled over as Sango released her fury and sadness with Kagome leaving on Inuyasha. He couldn't keep his temper any longer. "Shut up! Do you really think I don't care? That life will simply continue as it was before without Kagome! Well you don't know very much then, Sango!" he spat out her name like poison. "This is the third time I've lost someone dear to me! Do you think it gets easier after the first couple times? WELL IT DOESN'T!" Inuyasha was trembling with rage, and his bangs were covering his eyes.

The tension between the thread bare friends was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Sango was working her mouth trying to say something, but no words would come to her. She felt hollow and raw for saying such nasty things to Inuyasha. Miroku put his hand on her shoulder in comfort, and this time she didn't brush it away. "It always ends up being my fault when someone close to me leaves…..my mother died because of me…..Kikyo…..and now Kagome has left….heh, maybe I was never meant to be cared for, and someone up there is only trying to prove that by ripping everyone away from me." Shippo was sitting on the ground twisting the grass with his fingers uneasily, and Miroku and Sango stood looking at Inuyasha, sorrow clouding their eyes. "Come come Inuyasha, you shouldn't say things like that….." Miroku whispered, trying to console his disheveled friend. He took a step forward, only to be halted by Inuyasha. "No, Miroku. I have learned from experience that I should not get close to anyone. I'm going to leave now, I might return, but I have to take care of some things first." With that said Inuyasha launched himself into the trees and left his companions behind, and the only thing following him was a mournful wail from Shippo. "No Inuyasha! Come back! Please, come back!"

"So uh, what do we do now?" Miroku said as Shippo hopped up on his shoulder. "I guess we go back to Kaedes. There isn't anything else to do." Sango sighed sadly. "I really wish Kagome was here, and then none of this would've happened." Shippo sniffed as the trio climbed onto Kirara, and with a final glance at the trees in which Inuyasha had disappeared, they flew off.

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Sunday meandered by, and in its wake a completely furnished house, a pile of dirty dishes from supper, a bunch of tired men with full bellies, and the Higurashi family left to clean up. They figured out a good line of duty to clean dishes: Grandpa gives Mama dirty dishes, she washes them, Kagome dries, and Souta puts them away. "Goodnight, mama!" Kagome called to her mother as she headed up the stairs. "Goodnight Kagome, goodnight Souta!" "Goodnight mom!" "Goodnight grandpa!" ………"He's asleep dear!" Kagome smiled slightly as she reached the top of the stairs. Buyo (sp?) curled around her legs and she stopped to pet him, and when she stood back up she realized she was right in front of the attic door. _'It couldn't hurt to check, right?' _Turning the knob and opening the door she looked up the stairs. _'Right?' _Kagome walked up the stairs and stared at the old key still in the door. Uncertainly she reached out and turned it and was greeted by a familiar _'click'. _Turning the knob she opened the door a crack and light poured out. "No way!"

She flung the door open and stared in at the paintings. "I can't _believe it! _Why wasn't all this here when I wanted to show it to mama?" Kagome walked in and looked up at the ceiling. _'Haven for the lost….Place of solitude…' _"I guess that means this is only for me….." Shrugging she walked over to the big desk and looked down at the purple and gold book. "Wait, didn't I leave that other book here?" turning she looked curiously at the bookshelves, noticing they were all back in order. "That's weird, but everything about this place is!" She then turned back to the purple and gold book and picked it up. "I wonder whose book this is…" the cover didn't have any writing on it, so she opened it up only to find all the pages were blank. Well, all except one. "Tales of my Life……by….Kagome Higurashi!" She dropped the book like it was about to bite her. _'What is going on here! I never wrote in this book! Wait….am I suppose to use it like a life journal? Like all the others…..they must've been people who found this place too!' _Picking the book up once more she searched the desk. "Now where can I get a pen…..ah ha!" Kagome opened the desk drawer and pulled out a simple black fountain pen.

"I guess I'll write about…." As she sat down a picture of Inuyasha flashed in her mind. "I'll write about when I first met Inuyasha!" She titled the first page 'My Fifteenth Birthday' and continued from there, remembering the event like it had only happened yesterday. About a half hour later she put down the pen. "There, my first encounter with Inuyasha….." her eyes saddened as she remembered the dog eared boy. "I wonder how they're doing…." Closing her book she got up and left the room, and just as she shut the door the gold ivy pattern on the book glowed. Walking into her room Kagome flopped down on her bed in exhaustion. "I have to go to school tomorrow….ugh…" she fell asleep quickly, and had not even bothered to change into any pajamas.

"Kagome! Wake up! You have school today!" Mrs. Higurashi called into her room and then went to wake Souta. "Uhhh…..I would rather go to the Feudal Era….." getting out of bed she stared out the window forlornly. "Oh….that's right….we moved away from that…" a single tear made its way down her cheek and she didn't bother to brush it away as it fell to the carpet. "Well, at least there's no school uniforms…." She tried to cheer herself up, but the prospect of being allowed to wear jeans to school still did nothing to brighten her mood. Jumping in to get a shower she was glad that Souta only took one every other day. How were they going to work it out tomorrow, then? "Just don't think about it now, Kagome…" she sighed as she brushed her hair out and threw on a pair of blue jeans and a plain green t-shirt. She decided to think about wearing something a little more interesting tomorrow if she felt like it. Today was going to be a long day, no doubt about that.

Mrs. Higurashi drove Kagome to school before heading off to her new job. "Bye Kagome! Have a nice day at school!" "Bye mama!" she turned around and looked at her new school, butterflies danced in her stomach as she saw all the other students chatting with one another. "Here goes nothing!" she sighed and walked through the crowd with her head down. Suddenly she collided with someone, and looked up in shock. "I'm sorry!" The two girls said at the same time. "Heh heh, you must be new here! I'm Kyana, pleased to meet you!" she extended her hand to Kagome. She took it and said politely, "Kagome Higurashi, pleased to meet you too. I'm sorry I ran into you, I can be a bit of a klutz at times!" "Oh no problem! So why are ya here? I mean, don't new kids come sometime at the beginning of the year?" "Yeah, but my mom got a new job so we had to move…." Kyana looked at Kagome sympathetically. "Oh, you must really miss your old pals then, huh? Hey! Do you wanna be buds? I mean, I could show you around, keep you company at lunch so it isn't so weird sitting alone, the whole nine yards! I just moved here at the beginning of the year, so we can be newbie's together!" Kagome looked at her with surprise. "Really? Wow that would be great! Thanks!" "Yeah, and I could introduce you to Senshozsu, he's the hottest guy in school!" Kyana nudged Kagome in the ribs with her elbow. "And I noticed he's already checking you out!" Kagome blushed and grabbed her new friends arm, "C'mon! We should probably head inside!"

The day went a lot faster than Kagome had expected, and the cool thing was she had all but two of her classes with Kyana. She had become friends with Kyanas only other close pal named Rhea, who was in three of her classes, including the two that Kyana was not. "Bye Kyana! Bye Rhea! See you guys tomorrow!" she waved and hopped in the car with her mother. "So Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi chimed as they drove home, "who were those two? Did you make some new friends?" "Yeah, they're pretty cool. Kyana is bubbly and open all the time, while Rhea is pretty shy and doesn't talk much. I'm glad I've got some friends here to help me out!" "Well, that's wonderful dear!" they arrived at Souta's new school and picked him up. He had also made some new friends and asked Mrs. Higurashi if he could go to one of their houses on Saturday to hang out. All in all it was a pretty good day, but Kagome still missed her old friends and the Feudal Era sorely. Hopping out of the car she greeted her grandfather and went up to her room to do her homework. "I hate math…." She grumbled and set about solving another agonizing problem. After completing her homework Kagome headed up to the attic to write more about her adventure in the Feudal Era. Upon opening the book she gasped. After her entry about meeting Inuyasha and freeing him from the Goshinboku tree there was a beautiful picture of him pinned to the tree by Kikyo's arrow.

She then walked over to a bookshelf and randomly took down a book and flipped through the pages. "I thought the drawings in here were done by the authors…." She put the book she was currently holding and took down another and another, noticing that all the pictures were done similarly, as if the same person had drawn and painted them all. "But how did they get here then? As if this place isn't already strange enough…" Kagome muttered and walked back over to the desk and sat down. Tracing the painting of Inuyasha with her finger she sighed sadly. "I miss you so much…." A tear slid down her cheek and splashed onto the picture where it glowed and disappeared. Jumping up out of the chair Kagome flung the book off the desk in fright. "What the heck is going on here! First this place disappears when I try to show it to someone else, and there's this crazy dragon statue that glows mysteriously without an understandable power source, then I find out the books here can create their own pictures, and now my tears glow and disappear? WHAT IS UP WITH THIS PLACE!" Suddenly one of the pictures on the wall started to glow. She stared at it in shock as the colors swirled and glowed, transforming into a larger version of the picture that was in her book.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome stepped up onto the platform and noticed an inscription in the wood for the first time. "What's this?" the words formed a large circle, big enough to sit in it cross legged. Compelled to do so for some reason she sat there and closed her eyes, as if in a trance. She then looked up at the ceiling and was stunned to see that the writing there swirl around and disappear. "What's going on?" she was almost afraid now, and then to her astonishment the unreadable writing around her glowed and an answer formed in the blank space on the ceiling. **Do not fear, this is the place where all the lost and alone souls end up coming. You are writing down your previous life before moving to cope with the change. **"Oh my God! Is this like, a magic room or something?" Again the writing glowed and a new answer formed on the ceiling. **An old sorcerer created this place long ago, and when he died his magic stayed here, so I believe you could call it enchanted. **Suddenly getting an idea Kagome stared up at the ceiling and asked, "How are my friends back home? And what about the Feudal era? Is everyone alright?" The words on the ceiling swirled again to answer her question. **I cannot look at people, I can only answer questions about this place, that is what the sorcerer created me for. I am sorry. **

Downhearted Kagome started to pick herself up off the floor when she remembered the painting of Inuyasha. "Why did that happen?" she pointed to the painting and then looked up at the ceiling for an answer. **As I said before, the paint here is ready to comfort, and by creating pictures of things from home it is a way to help you adjust. Do you understand? **Kagome nodded her head and walked over to the painting and stared at Inuyasha, he looked so peaceful and calm. Smiling she remembered the countless fights she had with him, and she remembered her old friends, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara. "I wish I could talk to them now….I wish I could tell them how sorry I am for leaving and not saying goodbye…." Turning Kagome walked over to the door and removed the key, and before she left she took one last look at the painting and smiled sadly. _'I miss you, Inuyasha…' _

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Inuyasha jumped from tree to tree, on his way somewhere, anywhere but there. _'Why did she leave?' _He slowed and came to a stop, looking down at his hands. _'Did she leave because of me? Because of what I am?...no! Kagome said she liked me even for being a hanyou!' _Inuyasha ran a claw over the bark of the tree he was sitting in, tearing through it unintentionally. Dropping his hand he couldn't help but think, _'was she lying when she said that?' _"No! Kagome wouldn't lie about that!" he clenched his fists and dug his nails into the palms of his hands, almost as if he were punishing himself for thinking such a thing about Kagome. Shaking his head he jumped out of the tree and ran on, coming to a stop at the top of a hill he watched the sunset. He couldn't help but think of Kagome then, and the gold in his eyes was enhanced by the setting sun, and if anyone had seen him then, broken with sorrow watching the sun go down, they would truly feel for him, hanyou or not.

After the orange fireball had sunk below the horizon Inuyasha went to find himself a good tree to sleep in, hoping to escape from the pain and confusion of the real world. Settling into a fairly old tree with long, wide branches he sighed. _'I do miss you Kagome, not matter what anyone thinks…' _

That night was meant to be special, because in both times the separated friends slept under a full moon with thoughts of each other before parting with the conscious world. That night was special, maybe because the two cared so much for one another, or maybe it was by luck, but for whatever reason, Inuyasha and Kagome shared a dream.

(It'll be from both their points of view, 'cause I think it'd be stupid to write the same dream twice because of the POV)

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_Kagome woke up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Uhhh…." She looked around the room and her eyes widened in shock. "I'm back? I'm back home! Or was I just dreaming I left?" She hopped out of bed and changed into her school uniform. "On second thought, I think I'll go to the Feudal Era….I miss everyone so much!" she turned around and saw Inuyasha perched on the window sill, staring in at her happily. "Inu…Inuyasha?" "Kagome!" He jumped into the room and wrapped his arms around her tightly. _'I thought I'd never see you again…..' (A/N: all the thoughts are in normal writing!) _"Inuyasha, what's wrong?" Kagome pulled out of his hug and looked up at him. "Kagome, why did you leave us? Why didn't you even come to tell us you were going?" he looked down at her, seeing the confusion in her eyes. "What do you mean, 'I left you'? I'm right here! Wait…then it wasn't only a dream? Inuyasha….I tried, really I tried to come, but I couldn't get through….I didn't want to go through…." Kagome looked up at him, tears brimming her eyes. "What?" Inuyasha yelped and backed away, shocked at what she had just said. "Inuyasha, please, let me"- "NO! I heard what you had to say! You didn't want to come anymore so you left!" He shook his head angrily and climbed up on the window sill. _

"_Inuyasha wait! You don't understand! INUYASHA!" "Oh, I understand alright, no need to explain, Kagome! You just got bored of playing around with us so you decided to leave, not even bothering to tell us why!" he growled at her without turning around. "Goodbye, Kagome." With that he jumped out the window and left Kagome sitting in her room, sobbing. "No….no it's not like that….you don't understand….."_

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Kagome sat up in bed in a cold sweat, tears running down her cheeks. "No….it was just a dream, Kagome…" she wiped her face roughly, "get a-hold of yourself!" glancing at her clock she noticed that it was an hour before she needed to be awake, but the dream was still fresh in her mind so she decided to take a shower and get ready for school. "Just a dream, Kagome, it was just a dream…"

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Inuyasha jolted awake and nearly fell out of the tree he had been sleeping in. He stared up at the moon; his heart felt like it had been ripped to pieces….again. "No!" He shook his head, trying to rid his memory of the horrid dream. "Kagome wouldn't do that! I know her!" He tried to sleep again, but every time he closed his eyes he saw her saying that, _I didn't want to come back. _In an attempt to clear his thoughts he jumped out of the tree and took a walk, inhaling the luscious night air. He came across a spring and decided to take a bath, and maybe that would wash away the horrid feeling of being dirty he had after waking up from that dream. He couldn't believe he had said such things to Kagome, even though it was only a dream, and the fact that they had fought almost every day. Stripping down he jumped in, feeling the cold making his skin tingle. _'Why can't I just let her go?'_

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Hey everybody! I hope you enjoyed this chappie, even though I feel like Inuyasha was really OOC! So, please review and tell me if you think he was or not, cause I'm a little unsure. I'm really glad I've gotten all good reviews so far, so that must mean I'm doing something right! I don't know what's going to happen with the weird room of paintings, I think I got to carried away with it so it's going to take forever to get rid of it! If anybody has a good idea how to be rid of the thing (WITHOUT the house burning down, or Kagome moving! She has to stay there for my wonderfully scrumptious end!) I would really appreciate the help! Or, if you're freakin tired with the whole 'enchanted room' thing, tell me that too because I might just drop it, seeing as how I haven't got any good ideas for it at the moment... And if ya have any questions or comments, just put 'em in your review and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! Oh yeah, the reason Buyo (sp?) and Kagomes grandfather just seemed to pop up now is because I kind of forgot about them in the earlier chapters, besides, they really wouldn't have done anything anyway! And the cute Sango/Miroku scene is coming up for those of you who have been wondering where their fluff has been! Later days!

Mistoffelees Shadow


	5. Broken Apart

**Disclaimer-** eh. No need. If I did own Inuyasha, do you think I'd be here?

Chapter Five: Broken Apart

Sango and Miroku sat in Kaedes hut sad, alone and confused. After what seemed like many sleepless and unbearable hours Sangos voice pierced the mournful silence, causing Miroku to jump. "Why do you think Kagome left without saying goodbye? She was our friend…..friends don't do that to each other, right?" Miroku turned and looked thoughtfully at her before answering. "Maybe something happened and she didn't have time to come and bid farewell. Whatever the reason, we should not think lowly of Kagomes actions." He slid over to her side and rubbed her back comfortingly, knowing in Sangos grieving state now was not the time to be a lecher. She laid her head on his shoulder, silent tears running down her cheeks. "But that's just it…..what if something bad happened?" "Do not worry yourself, Sango; I'm sure Kagome is alright." She looked up at him with fearful eyes. "You think so?" Miroku smiled warmly down at her. "I know so."

Just then Kaede and Shippo walked in, not bothering to question the position Sango and Miroku were currently in. "I want Kagome to come back…..why did she leave?" Shippo sobbed as Kaede tried to comfort him as best as she could. "Now now child, ye need to calm yourself! I'm sure our Kagome will come back soon!" "Really? Do you really think so?" Shippo looked hopefully up at Kaede and she smiled down at him. "Yes, yes I do." Sango and Miroku looked at her, but she only sent them sad eyes and glanced once more at Shippo before sighing hurriedly and began to prepare their meal. Shippo hopped into Mirokus lap and smiled, "did ya hear that? Kagome will come back soon!" "Yes, we heard, Shippo." He smiled down at the little Kitsune and then looked over at Sangos sleeping form, her brows were furrowed and she was shivering. Wrapping his arms around her tighter Miroku sighed and settled his head on top of hers, closing his eyes and waiting for sleep to take him. _'She'll come back, won't she? She must come back soon, because it's tearing poor Inuyasha up inside with her absence, even though he tries to hide it.' _Shippo curled up in Mirokus lap contentedly, a small smile gracing his lips. A young little fox demon like him didn't understand that Kagome was really gone, and not even Kaede thought she would come back soon, but they had to have hope, even if it was in the form of a little demon boy.

The next morning was greeted with sad and tired faces, for no one except Shippo had a good night sleep. They were all too worried about Kagomes disappearance, and what would happen to the Feudal Era now the she and the jewel shards were gone. Well, Naraku wouldn't be able to create the Shikon Jewel now, that was good, right? Who were they trying to kid! Kagome was gone and the Feudal Era was still in turmoil! No one really cared much about Naraku now anyway. The forlorn remainder of the once happy group spent the day helping out around the village and Kaedes hut, to preoccupied by the recent events to even think to stop and eat until Kaede dragged them into her hut for a meal. At least they weren't all alone, though. Inuyasha and Kagome were nowhere to be found and they had to deal with the sorrow of separation! The gang knew neither of them would be taking this well and worried for their mental health (well, mostly Inuyashas).

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Mrs. Higurashi was fretting over her daughters' condition. Not only did she simply forget to eat breakfast, but she was paling and her spirits were lower than dirt! How could she help her to overcome her heartbreak? The whole family knew Kagome liked Inuyasha more than a friend, and now that they were apart her health was deteriorating. What could they do? "Bye mama, I'll see you later." Kagome waved limply and turned towards the school. "Goodbye, Kagome dear! Are you sure you're okay? I mean, you could stay home sick today if you'd like…" Kagome turned back to her mother, putting on her best fake smile. "Really mama, I'm fine! Now you should hurry, you've still got to drop off Souta!" remembering her son in the back seat Mrs. Higurashi nodded. "Yes, yes you're right, but if you don't feel well promise me you'll call? I'll be in my office most of the day!" Kagome nodded and walked off to find her new friends. "Goodbye, mama!" And with a final worried glance at her daughter Mrs. Higurashi drove off.

"Heya, Kagome! How's it going?" Kyana grinned as she hopped beside Kagome, with Rhea walking quietly on the other side. "Oh, I'm good!" Kyana cocked her head, "you sure? You're looking' kinda pale!" Kagome sighed in exasperation. "I'm fine! I'm just a little homesick, okay?" Kyana grinned deviously and nudged Kagome in the ribs. "You missing a boyfriend from back home, huh?" Kagome replied by poking Kyana in the side and making her jump. "No! I just miss my old friends! Is that a problem?" "Okay! Okay, no need to get all defensive about it!" Kyana put her hands up and laughed. "So Kagome, are you enjoying the school? I mean, you get to meet all new people and stuff, it must be so exciting!" Rhea piped up quietly beside Kagome, getting this faraway look in her eyes. "I wish I could move around and meet new people, I've lived here all my life and frankly, these old faces are starting to bore me!" She looked around and huffed, earning a laugh from Kagome and Kyana. "What? What did I say?" She quirked an eyebrow at her laughing friends, and when she got no reply she decided to give it up.

After surviving her second day at her new school Kagome walked outside and saw her friends by the gate waving her over. She smiled and started towards them, but was stopped when someone stepped in front of her. He was taller than she was, so she had to look up to talk to him. "Can I help you?" Kagome asked politely. The guy had jet black hair and strange green eyes that glittered softly, and a winning smile to boot. "Oh yes, I'm Senshozsu Osumura, pleased to meet you!" he extended his hand in welcome, and Kagome shook it and smiled. "Kagome Higurashi, pleased to meet you too." He nodded at her and continued talking. "I was wondering if you'd like to hang out sometime, I mean, I'd like to get to know you better, and a lot of the people I've talked to say you're really nice." He blushed slightly and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'm not quite settled into this place yet, so maybe another time, okay?" She smiled warmly at Senshozsu as his face fell. "Oh, okay. Maybe later then, Kagome!" He smiled and walked off.

Shaking her head Kagome caught up with her friends and they began to bombard her with questions. "Oh my God! Senshozsu just talked to you! What'd he say? Did he ask you out on a date?" Kyana squealed and jumped up and down excitedly. "Yeah, did he ask you to be his girlfriend?" Rhea piped shyly. "Well, he did ask me if I wanted to hang out, but I said no." "WHAT?" both of the girls in front of her screeched in disbelief. "No way! You're joking! You MUST have another boyfriend or something to turn him down!" Kyana yelled, throwing her hands up. "Yeah, no one has ever turned down Senshozsu before! Well, actually it's usually other people who ask _him _out, but still!" Rhea sighed. "I told you! I do NOT have a boyfriend! I'm just not interested, okay!" Kagome barked hotly. Her two friends just smiled and laughed, shaking their heads. "What? What's so funny?" Kagome steamed as the girls laughed harder, holding their sides. "Ugh! You two are impossible!" She threw up her hands and sighed. After all that Kagome was beginning to act like her normal self again.

"Kagome! It's time to go!" Mrs. Higurashi yelled from the car and waved. "Coming!" She turned back to Kyana and Rhea and scowled playfully, "see you later guys!" and ran to the waiting car. "Bye, Kagome!" the two shouted and waved as Kagome left. Mrs. Higurashi smiled as she headed for Souta's school to pick him up. "You're looking better, Kagome! Have a nice day at school?" "Yeah, I guess I did!" Then Kagome remembered her encounter with Senshozsu and her face fell as she thought of Inuyasha again. Looking in the rearview mirror Mrs. Higurashi noticed this and furrowed her brow. "Is something wrong, Kagome? You look upset!" Kagome sighed and looked down at her hands. "Well…….today after school the popular guy asked me if I wanted to hang out…." Then her mother sighed and realized who she must have been thinking about. "Oh…" They picked up Souta and headed for home, Kagome just stared out the window and sighed as she remembered the first time Inuyasha had seen a car. _'Why can't I just stop thinking about him? Maybe I should go out with Senshozsu……he might help me forget…..' _

Upon arriving at the house Kagome trudged upstairs and began the long process of decoding her math. _'Stupid math….I hate it! And it just HAS to be the one subject I get the most homework in!' _After completing her despised homework Kagome went straight to the attic to write. It seemed to help her if she wrote down all the good times she had back home and in the Feudal Era. But every time Kagome wrote about one of the few sweet moments she had shared with Inuyasha, she got the uncontrollable urge to cry. After she finished writing Kagome looked up at the walls. No longer were there pictures of unicorns and ogres, huge dragons and demons, but instead the walls were covered with paintings of home and the Feudal Era. Sighing sadly she went to bed, deciding that if Senshozsu were to confront her again she would accept.

The rest of the week flew by, and on Friday Senshozsu asked Kagome out again after school. She smiled warmly at his twinkling emerald eyes. "Sure Senshozsu, I'll hang out with you tomorrow!" "Wow, really? I'm glad you're finally used to the place!" "Yeah…I guess." She sighed softly as Senshozsu continued, "So where do you live? I'll come and pick you up at you're house if you'd like!" "Ah…" Her eyes flickered back into focus and she blushed furiously, mentally kicking herself for zoning when someone was talking to her. "Yeah, sure." Kagome smiled and nodded, fidgeting nervously in the awkward silence. "Well?" He laughed and quirked his eyebrow, and for a split second Kagome thought of Inuyasha. "Are you gonna tell me where you live or do I have to get the address from your friends?" Kagome blushed ever so slightly and mentally kicked herself again for being an idiot. She was acting so weird! But not because the school hottie was asking her on a date, no, it was because her thoughts kept lingering back to Inuyasha and how guilty she felt for going out with Senshozsu, even though she knew the stubborn hanyou would never return her affection.

"Hey, Kagome! I saw you talking to Senshozsu again!" Kyana narrowed her eyes slyly, attempting to get Kagome to spill without any begging. "Yeah." Kagome walked on, only half listening to her friend as she zoned and stared at the drifting clouds. "Well? Are you gonna tell us about it or not?" Kyana elbowed Kagome in the side playfully. "Did he ask you out again?" "Yeah Kagome! Tell us what happened!" Rhea giggled and got a starry look in her eyes. "I wish someone as gorgeous as sweet as Senshozsu would ask me out!" "Heh, it'll never happen if you keep being so shy and never talk to anyone but us!" Kyana rolled her eyes at Rheas romantic daydreams. Then remembering how this had started she turned back to Kagome and grinned. "Come on Kagome! Tell us what he said!" Snapping back to reality she looked at her friend and furrowed her brow. "Huh? I'm sorry Kyana, I wasn't really focused, what did you say?" "We want to know what Senshozsu said! Now spill!" With that Kyana began to tickle Kagome relentlessly, vowing that she would never stop unless Kagome told them what they wanted to know and Rhea just watched and laughed at her friends' antics. "Okay! Okay! I give! I'll tell you what he said! Stop tickling me!" Kagome gasped through her laughter and it took her a few moments to regain composure after the tickling torture.

"Now…" Kyana rubbed her hands together and a mock evil grin spread across her face. Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes, _'huh. Maybe I should've gotten some friends who don't live off of prying in another friends business…' _After explaining the whole ordeal Kyana giggled girlishly. "Aw…that's so sweet! He must like you or something, huh Kagome?" "Sure…" she nodded distractedly as her thoughts ventured back to Inuyasha once more. "Hey Kagome!" Jolting back to reality she saw her mother waving from the car by the gate. "Hi mama! Bye Kyana, later Rhea!" "See ya Kagome! Tell us how your date goes with Senshozsu!" before she got in the car she shot Kyana a warning glare. "You better not spy on me, Kyana!" Rhea laughed and called back, "Don't worry about it, Kagome! I'll keep her in line!" Waving her last goodbye for the weekend Kagome plopped down into the passenger seat and her mother smiled sweetly. "A date? My little Kagome is going on a date!" "Mama! It's no big deal! He only asked me if I wanted to hang out! So technically it _isn't _a date!" she rolled her eyes and then mumbled, "Senshozsu is picking me up tomorrow at six to go see a movie." "Ooh! My daughter is going to the movies with a boy! That's so sweet! Now Kagome, no romance movies or horror flicks, I don't want anything happening that is unnecessary, okay? And remember to be polite, if he wants to buy your ticket thank him, if you go to a restaurant DON'T share spaghetti….." her list went on and on, but Kagome wasn't listening.

Her gut was rolling in guilt, even though she had nothing to be guilty about. She just couldn't stop thinking that she was cheating on Inuyasha, although technically she wasn't because they weren't going out to begin with. It just felt weird going on a date, ah! Scratch that, 'hanging out with' someone she didn't have any real feelings for. Sure, Senshozsu was cute, but he still wasn't Inuyasha. And what tore Kagome up even more was that the hanyou didn't even harbor the same feelings she had for him. They were all for _Kikyo! _That clay bitch who wanted to drag Inuyasha to Hell with her, that wanted him to become human for her when she was alive! Couldn't he see that the only way he would make her happy was if he changed who he was? Kagome sighed, knowing Inuyasha would never realize she cared about him no matter what form he was in. She loved him for being a hanyou and nothing else. And now he would never know because she had left that life behind, left him behind, and was starting again here.

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Inuyasha had been a sulking wanderer ever since he left Kaedes hut. He never slept, and only ate enough to keep himself alive, so in turn he looked like the living dead. His eyes had become hollow and dull; his hair had lost its silvery sheen, making it look gray and limp. From lack of sleep he had great dark bags under his eyes, and his skin was pale a fallow from lack of nourishment. Yes, he truly looked like someone dead that had come back from the grave, and maybe that's why all the demons who saw him stayed well away, and when passing a through a village the people would hide in their homes and lock their doors, praying to God that he wouldn't curse their crops or bring disease to the town and its livestock. There was nowhere for him to go, no one to comfort him in this time of heartbreak and sorrow. _'No, there is one place…..one place that will accept me….' _He thought as he passed through yet another village that rejected his sorry self. Turning around he took the forest way, avoiding any villages and unnecessary contact with other living beings. He was going back to Kaedes, back to the only friends he had.

Leaping lifelessly from tree to tree Inuyasha was already halfway there, because he didn't have Kagome or any of the others tagging along. _'Kagome….why did you leave?' _He had to get back to Kaedes, maybe she had returned! Well, he knew for a fact that wasn't true, but he needed companionship, he needed the others to help him keep his sanity. Upon reaching the village he stopped. Was he really going to return? Stay in the place he had first met Kagome, talk to the friends he had made because of her help? Yes, he would stay, but the talking could come later, he didn't need it. He just needed to know there were others out there who cared about his well being, who didn't want him dead or hate him for being a half-breed. Inuyasha walked silently on, ignoring the villagers whispering and gossip. They knew him, they knew he wasn't a bloodthirsty demon, but they were disturbed at seeing him in such a state.

"He looks so pale!" "Shh! He'll hear you! He might be the walking dead; I've heard demons don't die as easily as humans!" "They say he's been this way since Lady Kagome left…" "Do you think he's so lifeless because she took the jewel shards with her, and now he can't use them?" Inuyasha flexed his claws and turned toward the gathered people, anger burning clearly in his eyes. "SHUT UP! If you have something to say, why don't you say it to my face? Anyone? I'm sure that whatever you're whispering is said in consideration to my feelings!" He glared hatefully at them, the silence thick with their fear and his rage. The commotion was heard inside Kaedes hut, and Shippo peeked his head out curiously. Darting back in he jumped excitedly on Mirokus shoulder. "Miroku! Inuyasha is back! Come on!" Everyone set down their food (they were currently eating supper) and stepped outside the hut to take a look.

Sure enough, said half-demon was standing there, glaring at the villagers who were quickly dispersing and heading back to their own homes nervously after Inuyashas outburst. Shippo bounced up to him and hopped on his shoulder, grinning widely. "Hey Inuyasha, welcome back!" the silver-haired hanyou shoved him off tiredly, not bothering to respond. "Are you feeling better, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked, and raised his eyebrows in shock when Inuyasha lifted his head, showing his living dead appearance. "Come, you must eat! You look like you haven't eaten a decent amount of food since you left!" The monk dragged him inside and handed him a bowl of soup that Kaede had made. He drank it down and stared at the empty dish, almost wishing he hadn't come back. _'Feh…it's not nearly as good as Ramen…' _Maybe that was why he hadn't eaten, because every time he did he'd think about Ramen, and then he'd start thinking about Kagome. He got up and walked slowly over to the corner of the hut and laid down, feeling the gaze of everyone else follow him.

"Ya got a problem with what I look like?" he growled dangerously, and smirked in satisfaction as he sensed the eyes boring into his back turn away hastily. Now that he had some decent food in his stomach and people who cared about his safety around him, he let the overwhelming urge to sleep take him, thinking maybe, just maybe he might feel better when he woke up.

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Okay, okay, I'm sorry for taking such a long time! I was having some trouble staying focused on writing this because it's getting kinda slow. But no worries! Kagomes date with Senshozsu is coming up next chappie and something interesting happens back in the Feudal Era! And I'm also sorry that this was so short, but it was more of a filler chapter than anything else just to get the ball rolling again! Please review and tell me whatcha think! I'm open to any constructive criticism, but please no flames! I will also consider any sweet little ideas you might have for this fic, so don't hesitate to tell me about them! Until next chappie, later days!

Mistoffelees Shadow


	6. Depression Hurts

**Disclaimer: **You gotta problem with Inuyasha? Take it to Rumiko Takahashi, not me!

Chapter Six: Depression Hurts

So much for feeling better when he woke up. "Damn stupid head…" Inuyasha sat up and rubbed his temples. After no sleep for almost a week his body was craving for more, which was giving him a splitting headache. And as if to worsen his foul temper, his stomach was growling terribly and it felt as if a vicious little squirrel was clawing to get out and eat (A/N: sorry, I couldn't help myself! I just found it kinda funny! A vicious little squirrel…hee hee! Anywho!). Deciding to quiet his stomach first Inuyasha left the hut, leaving it completely vacant. Shippo seemed to just bounce up out of nowhere, choosing to perch on the half-demons shoulder. "Hey Inuyasha! Where are you going? You aren't leaving again, are you?" The little Kitsune questioned, tugging a handful of limp grey hair. "Leave me alone Shippo, I'm just going for a walk." With that he shoved the little demon child off his shoulder and walked into the woods. That alone seemed to help him, just walking and watching the forest life do their thing. The overwhelming depression was still there, but it wasn't as prominent. "Now to find me some food…"

After walking a long way his ears picked up the sound of a stream. Tired of walking he jumped into the tree branches and followed the sound of rushing water. Peering into the crystal clear water Inuyasha spotted a fish flicking about aimlessly, and the current was slow so it drifted along, unaware of the pending doom looming over it. Inuyasha crouched low next to the water and waited until the fish swam closer, and with a quick snatch he held the silver little snack firmly in his claws. Yes, he was so hungry eating it now was tempting, but he then thought of the scaly, slippery texture and cringed. He could wait. Tossing a few more sticks onto the small fire Inuyasha created he watched hungrily as the five delicious fish cooked. _'They look so good….but nothing is as good as Ramen…' _Inuyasha shook his head in frustration, trying to clear all thoughts out of his head that might lead to thinking about _her._

"Why can't I get you out of my head?" he growled, staring at the beads of subjugation around his neck. "Damn it Kagome! What about the shards!" after saying that his gut twisted with guilt for sounding so selfish, even though the miko wasn't there to hear him. Why did he always get these weird feelings when it came to Kagome? "Feh!" he grunted and tore a large hole in his third fish. _'It's still not as good as Ramen…' _

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Sango walked quietly into Kaedes hut, not wanting to disturb a certain sleeping hanyou. But when she discovered he wasn't there, she stared with a worried expression at the corner he had occupied, his living-dead appearance flashing in her head. "Poor Inuyasha….he must be really hurt by Kagome leaving…even though he won't say it, he sure looks it…" shaking her head and sitting down to take a break, for it was about midday and the sun was beating down with unrelenting ferocity, and the smell in the air was warning them that a harsh storm was on the move, along with the thick clouds moving in that all the villagers decided to rest until the day cooled and the storm had passed. Just then Miroku walked in and wiped his forehead, Shippo perched wearily on his shoulder. "Where's Kaede?" Sango sighed tiredly, looking quizzically at the weary monk. "She is taking care of a young girl who passed out from the heat to make sure she is okay. I'm guessing she'll be back soon." Sango nodded, closing her eyes and resting her head against the wall.

"So where's Inuyasha?" Miroku sat down and waved toward the empty corner. In response Sango simply shrugged and shook her head. "I'm guessing he either went out to sulk some more or to find something to eat." "Hmmm… I hope he is going to be alright. It's quite frightening to see him in such a state." Shippo looked up at Miroku, a sad expression muddling his features. "I thought Kagome was coming back soon? It's been over a week…Are you sure she will ever come back?" his eyes brimmed and glistened with tears, threatening to spill over at any moment. Kirara mewed sadly in turn, curling up on Sangos lap. "I don't know Shippo, I just don't know." Miroku sighed and ruffled the little Kitsune's hair. _'I hope for Inuyashas sake she comes back…'_

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Kagome let out a sigh of uncertainty. Now that she thought about her decision to 'hang out' with Senshozsu, she was beginning to doubt the amount of sanity she had at the time. Yes, he was nice, and really cute, but he just wasn't Inuyasha. And every time she thought about the silver-haired hanyou she felt guilty for accepting Senshozsu's invitation, even though there really wasn't a reason for her to be. I mean, it's not like _they _were going out, right? "Ugh…stupid conscience, I shouldn't feel so guilty! We weren't together! So technically I am free!" _'But I sure don't feel like it…gah! Traitorous thoughts! I am NOT taken! I can go out with--er, hang out with anyone I want!' _Kagome crossed her arms and blew her bangs out of her eyes in annoyance. She was waiting for Senshozsu on the old porch attached to the house. She was trying to shut out her nervousness to no avail, and he was picking her up at six o'clock. Which was in five hours.

The reason Kagome was out and waiting so early was because she was contemplating whether or not to go back to the Bone Eaters Well and try to get through again. The thought had been nagging at her ever since she left her old home, and now was a pretty good time to go. _'Wait, I can't go now! It takes two hours to get there from here, so I'd only have an hour to see them! That is, if I can…and if I go back to the Feudal Era, I'm sure Inuyasha wouldn't let me leave so soon. Grr…' _"Well….I'm bored. How 'bout you, Buoyo?" she stroked the cat as he curled around her and purred contentedly. After a few moments he walked away, heading over to the bushes in front of the house to stalk crickets and grasshoppers. Kagome watched him for a while, but soon lost interest in his catty antics and decided to go up to the enchanted room to write about something. Anything, she just needed to do something to keep her mind off of her upcoming date with Senshozsu.

She walked up the stairs and stood by the door, deciding she really wasn't in much of a mood to write. "Ugh, what am I gonna do now?" Just as she said that she heard the rumble of thunder from outside. Remembering the swelled blue-gray clouds that blanketed the sky she wandered into her room and sat by her window, watching the trees sway with the growing wind and a streak of lightning flash across the sky above the field neighboring their own. The thunder rolled ominously, and the thick storm clouds seemed to grow and darken as the storm progressed, building its power by the minute. Then, a massive strike of lightning ripped across the sky and seemed to tear open the clouds in a heated rage. The rain poured down and the thunder crashed its warning to all outside. Kagome suddenly had the strongest urge to go out, to stand in the middle of nature's unbound fury. The feeling of overwhelming excitement made her spine tingle as the storm intensified, urging her out of the house.

Not one to ignore her gut feeling, Kagome walked down the stairs and went out onto the porch, stepping with care and stealth so as not to wake her mother or alert her grandpa and brother that she was going outside during the chaos. Lightning flashed again and she took in a deep breath, letting the scent of ozone tickle her nose. She then stepped out from under the porch roofs protection, becoming drenched in the relentless rain. Her hair was matted to her scalp from the driving rain, and her clothes were soaked and stuck to her skin. But the young miko didn't mind. This is what living felt like, the rush of excitement and overwhelming power all around her. And for the first time since she had left her home, Kagome felt happy and at peace with her life. Nature was washing away all her troubles, as if it was telling her it was time to move on, that everything would be fine. Somehow, Kagome knew this wasn't the end. She had the strangest feeling that no matter what happened now, she would see Inuyasha again.

Walking around the house she noticed trees beyond the field behind her house. She had to go there, she needed to go there. Right now there wasn't a real reason in her mind to explain why, but she just wanted to be among those trees. Kagome was halfway there when she stopped and looked back at the house, taking in every little detail. This was her new home. She had made new friends, discovered a strange room in the house that only she knew about, yes, she finally felt at home. Even though her favorite hanyou wasn't with her now, she was comfortable. Walking towards the woods once more she felt calm and relaxed, yet filled with limitless energy that the storm poured down upon her. She walked into the forest, staring up at the soaked canopy as the wind whipped the branches around and tore leaves off the trees. Even as all this chaos and disarray was going on around her she felt safe. Being here in the woods felt so safe, as if nothing could ever harm her. Kagome then questioned her sanity, knowing that the lightning could strike a tree at any minute and end her life.

But ever since she had met Inuyasha, the woods were her favorite and safest haven. A picture of him sitting in a tree watching over her and the rest of the group flashed in her mind and a smile flickered across her face. Kagome couldn't wait until the day that she would see him again, because with every fiber of her being she knew she would. The rain was icy cold and the thunder and lightning was quite an intimidating side of nature, but she was neither chilly nor afraid, not while she knew he would be back.

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Inuyasha sat beside the Bone Eaters Well and grunted in annoyance. It was raining like no tomorrow, his hair was plastered to his face, back and head, but he had no intention of moving. Inuyasha was contemplating on whether or not he should go back: rather, go forwards and try to find Kagome again. But how could he? There was no longer a trail for him to follow, and it would be down right stupid to go hunt down one of her friends and ask them where she had gone. _'Well…if she apparently didn't have the time to come tell US she was leaving, then she probably didn't have the time to tell them!' _Inuyasha grunted again and turned around to look down the well. His soaking wet hair clung to the sides of his face and the longer strands hung down over the side of the well, dripping frequently. "Feh!" Now, Inuyasha had currently shoved his pain and heartbreak into the farthest and darkest corner of his mind, it was still there, throbbing like a mild headache that wouldn't go away. But now, to keep that pain at bay, he was just plain pissed. And frustrated, and annoyed, angry, confused, sad…..

"Feh! Not like we needed her anyway!" The drenched hanyou shook his head to clear it of the reoccurring hurt and stood up. Taking on last fleeting glance at the well, almost as if he were willing Kagome to pop out, he turned in disappointment and launched into the trees, on his way back to Kaedes. Yes, this stubborn dog demon had finally decided to rip his true feelings apart and shove them away, turning down the familiar path of denial. He was hurt, he acted angry. He was feeling alone, he'd hunt down a disgusting demon and rip it to shreds. That's how he had conquered his pain after his mothers' death, that's how he'd conquer it now. When Kikyo had passed, however, he had felt responsible; he felt he owed her _something._ He did mourn, but it wasn't the gut wrenching, life crushing loss as his mothers' death and Kagomes disappearance had been and was. It was more like, when you loose a family member that you didn't know much or didn't know at all. You think you should feel bad, you _force _yourself to feel bad, but it's a hollow pain.

Yes, there was some true pain for the loss of his first affection, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the hurt he felt because of Kagomes disappearance. Inuyasha leapt agilely from tree to tree, and then continued on to Kaedes. He slowed down as he neared the hut, and stopped just in front of the entrance. _'Am I meant to never have love?' _Pondering for just a moment he stood, the rain still pounding down on him, running down his face, which was hard and blank. A picture of her ever friendly smile flashed in his head, and he remembered her telling him that she didn't care whether or not he was a hanyou, she liked him just the same. A small smile played with his features for a brief second before he stepped into the hut, dripping like no tomorrow.

Inuyasha glanced around the room quickly; taking note of his sleeping companions and then took in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of a near done meal. Even though the hanyou had just eaten a good amount of fish, his stomach was telling him he needed more. Well yours would too if you had gone a week without so much as an apple or two! Kaede smiled at him and finished up the food, tipping her head in the direction of the unconscious four. Well, three, seeing as how Kirara had just awoken and was yawning fresh out of sleep. Grunting he nudged Sango and Miroku with his foot in turn, bringing them out of their little dreamland. Miroku shook the sleeping Kitsune in his lap halfheartedly, not fully awake himself. "Welcome back, Inuyasha. Did you enjoy your trip into the woods?" the monk asked, cocking his head up to get a better view of the hanyou. Once he got a good look he raised his eyebrow, but said nothing and took note that the storm must have come already.

Shippo rubbed his eyes drowsily, then looked at Inuyasha and grinned. "Hey, Inuyasha! Did ya get a little wet?" He bounced off of Miroku and grabbed the hanyous pant leg and squeezed it, causing water droplets to plop near his feet on the floor. Growling in annoyance Inuyasha took hold of his hair and wrung it out, right over Shippo. The little Kitsune's eyes went wide with astonishment and shock at the coldness of the rain water, staring down at his now drenched little body. "What was that for!" Shippo barked angrily and glared up at Inuyasha, who was currently smirking with satisfaction. "Grr!" He then launched himself up onto Inuyashas shoulder and then bounced up and hit him on the head, and finally sat down in the damp hanyou hair and began to tug unmercifully on said hanyous ears. "Get off of me you little brat!" Inuyasha swatted at the little fox demon, who simply jumped over his hand and continued to tug his ears. "SHIPPO!" he roared and successfully grabbed the little trickster after a few tries and began to tug his ears.

"Ite, ite! Stop it! Inuyasha! You're so mean! Ite! When Kagome gets back I'm gonna tell on you and she'll make you sit into oblivion!" Inuyasha flinched at his last remark, or should I say, threat, and dropped Shippo wordlessly, and the hut filled with an awkward silence. The hanyou made no effort to retaliate, and he hung his head so his bangs covered his eyes. "Shut up Shippo." The rest of the gang had been watching this little quarrel with slight amusement, glad that things were starting to be normal again, until they realized after Shippos threat that their fights usually ended that way, with Shippo bringing Kagome into it, or she was the one who ended it. Shippo looked at the dog demon, realizing his mistake at mentioning Kagome a little too late. Shaking his head he stared at Inuyasha defiantly, for he truly believed Kagome was coming back. No one had told _him _about the empty house, so he didn't know she was really missing. "She is coming back, and you're really gonna get it when she does!" he then crossed his arms and stuck his nose in the air, waiting for Inuyashas usual 'feh' and then disappearance.

After a few tense moments he opened an eye and looked at the hanyou. Inuyasha was trembling with rage and hurt, and he clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white and his claws dug into his hands painfully. But he took no notice. The only thing he could think of now was that his state of denial had been shattered, hearing Shippo sound so certain of Kagomes return and all the painful memories of that day he had lost her not so long ago returned full force. "Inuyasha…" Sango was watching her friend with pain in her eyes as she watched him struggle in the quick sand of hurt and loss. Miroku also watched his friend, feeling quite helpless, for he could do nothing to comfort the distraught hanyou. "You are so stupid…" he sneered, trying his best to revive his denial. "You _really _believe she's coming back? You idiots let him believe in false hope!" Inuyasha was frantic, his face hid it, but his wild eyes told all. "She's not coming back, Shippo! You really think that she'd still be on the other side of that well if she _wanted _to come back! You are all pitiful! Wretched humans…not only are you pathetically weak, you lie and blind others without one drop of guilt!" The hanyous fury began to rise, and he waved his hands accusingly around at them. "Well guess what Shippo? KAGOME'S NOT COMING BACK! SHE'S GONE! DO YOU GET IT NOW? She moved away without so much as a goodbye because we never really mattered!"

Shippos eyes welled with tears and spilled over, streaming down his cheeks. "Kagome….moved away?" he whispered quietly, not really talking to anyone. He was just trying to let the shock pass and the information sink in. Sango looked at the little Kitsune, his face filled with despair. Motherly instincts kicked in and she reached over and swept him up, doing everything she could to comfort the shattered little boy. Inuyasha looked angry and helplessly broken, sharp canines glinting in the dim light of the hut. "Inuyasha, you shouldn't take out your anger and sorrow at Kagomes disappearance on others! Shippo is just a young Kitsune! We didn't want him to know Kagome had left! He lost his parents not too long ago, and he doesn't need those wounds reopened!" Miroku stood, staring with hard eyes at the enraged hanyou. He had not forgotten all of Inuyashas pain, his parental loss and the loss of his first love, but the dog demon had time to heal, he had experienced such a loss before and so he knew how to cope. Not that it made it easier in any case, but still. Further more, Inuyasha was much older than Shippo, therefore he was probably less susceptible to becoming delusional and mentally ill from the shock of it all.

Yes, it seems as though Miroku was blowing this out of proportion, but what else could he do, knowing Kagome was Shippos only mother figure at the time and he had lost both of his parents in an awful twist of fate? Inuyasha flinched and looked at the pitiful little Kitsune as if seeing him for the first time. He understood everything Shippo had gone through and was going through, from loosing his parents to the loss of the one person who had truly cared about you for the first time since their death. The hanyou was pissed at himself for not seeing this earlier before he had snarled at Shippo, but it was too late now, and he sure as hell wasn't going to ask the little Kitsune to forgive him! His overblown ego and swelled pride wouldn't allow that. The only thing he could think of to do was say something that might make Shippo feel a little better. So he walked over to the bawling little fox demon that was curled up in Sangos arms and ruffled his hair roughly. "Ya don't need to cry, Shippo. Those things I said about Kagome aren't true. She'll be back. I know she wouldn't leave you here without even a little goodbye." His voice was gruff and his face expressionless as his hand dropped back down to his side and hung there, his eyes staring at the wall to his right rather than looking at the boy he was speaking to.

Sango watched Inuyasha and after he spoke she quirked her eyebrow, mildly surprised at the hanyous actions. Did he actually just _apologize _to Shippo? It may not have been a direct apology, but it was the meaning behind his monotone words. Miroku did the same, and Kaede, who had been watching the whole incident take place, raised the corners of her mouth ever so slightly in a small smile, amused with how soft the dog demon had become under Kagomes influence. He had actually felt a little guilty for saying that! But would he stay this way now that the young miko from the future had left? Or would he just clam up, even more so than before? It was hard to tell. Inuyasha turned and walked to the exit, just pausing to fill them in before he left. "I'm going out for a while. I'll probably be back sometime tomorrow." His voice was still gruff and emotionless, and after saying this he stepped out into the pouring rain, drenching his hair and clothes once more. It's not like he cared, though. He was hurting now more than ever, but no one would be able to understand, no one would be able to comfort him.

All these emotions that had been trapped away, sealed off since his mothers death had come flooding back, drowning in a bottomless ocean of pain and sorrow. It was too much to bear all over again. It was just too much.

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Kagome had long since returned to her house, glad that no one had noticed she was gone. Currently it was five o'clock, and all she had been doing after returning from the forest was some light, fitful reading that didn't even stick to her brain. Her thoughts were wandering too much and her focus wasn't even halfway paying attention to what the book said. Every time she read it she was always swept up in the emotions of excitement and the sense of adventure, but not now. Nothing in _Inkheart_ could rid her of the tight, worried knot in the pit of her stomach. Kagome had felt such uneasiness radiating from her miko powers ever since she left the woods, and she could do nothing to shake it. Sighing Kagome dropped the book onto her bed, even more unhappy because her attempt to distract herself hadn't worked. After a few moments of pondering on what she could do to keep herself busy for another hour until Senshozsu arrived, she walked to the window and stared out at the bleak gray sky. The thunder and lightning had faded out, leaving an unexciting downpour behind.

Kagome glanced impatiently at the clock on her bed stand. '_It's only quarter after…I wish he'd hurry up and get here early so I don't have to wait so long!' _ Turning around she looked in boredom around her room for something, anything to do and scowled when she found nothing. _'I really need to get a nice big jigsaw puzzle or something for days like this!' _She knew the reason why she had nothing for days like this. It was because she hadn't needed anything of the sort for nearly a year! The search for the Shikon jewel shards took up most of her time, and when she wasn't in the Feudal Era she was here in the present in school! Kagome wished now more than ever that she still had that busy life. She smiled and shook her head. _'I would've given anything to have a day off like this back then! But now I'd give anything to have no time to sit around and do nothing like this…' _Her smile faded as she thought of Inuyasha once more and his kawaii little doggy ears. He may have been more stubborn than a mule and the most temperamental person she knew, but she still loved him.

Her eyes widened and she stopped dead in he tracks as she walked to the door. _'Love him? Am I nuts or something?'_ Kagome shook her head and looked back at her window once more, picturing one of the dog demons rare smiles. _'Maybe I am….'_

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Hiya! So sorry this update took so long! I was being an idiot and had plenty of time on my hands, but I didn't feel like writing. I know, I'm such a stubborn jerk. The next chappie will be up ASAP! And it will be a lot longer, too! I was debating on whether or not I should continue this chappie, because I really liked leaving it off where it is now (even though it may seem torturous to you peeps!), and I decided, what the heck. It's not nearly as long as the other chapters, but I don't care! This is my fic, I can do what I want! Hee hee……..I'm so evil to you poor readers….and I was really getting impatient with myself for not updating, so you should be glad. I think. Now I'm confused! Well, please review and tell me what you think, and any constructive criticism is appreciated! Oh, and before I forget, here's a list of my awesome reviewers so far! And I'll even put the peeps here that I've already thanked for reviewing, because they deserve the thanks a million times over for the support!

**Avelyn Lauren**

**fmahanyougal**

**Short Witty Name Goes Here**

**Long Lost Dream37**

**banxbadxkarma**

**Yasha's Wifey Kyome**

**Bel Dumbledore**

**M Warrior**

**kagome442006**

**Videl1212**

Thanks so much for the support you guys! Anywho, stay tuned for the next chappie of The Moving Day: Leaving Home Behind. Later days!

Mistoffelees Shadow


	7. Fixed chapter seven!

**Disclaimer- **boooriiing!! Wouldn't you much rather be reading? Good! Because I feel like writing! So what if I don't own Inuyasha! Ick….did I really say that? Oh well! Life goes on!

Chapter Seven: The Date, Moving on, and a New Friend (in that exact order, too!)

Kagome sat on the porch and checked her watch for the third time. _'Is it me, or is he taking entirely too long?' _Her blank gaze wandered in a bored fashion over the misty yard and stopped at the driveway that twisted up to the main road. Perking up she snapped her vision towards the city (she couldn't really see it because of the mist) and held her breath as she heard the faint sound of a car heading her way. Grunting with annoyance she slumped as the sound passed and faded. _'He's ten minutes late…' _her eyebrow twitched as she stared at her watch, narrowing her eyes. Another engine murmured in the distance, and Kagome sighed as it too passed by. _'He better not have forgotten about me!' _Another five minutes rolled by in silence, and the mist settled in Kagomes hair, clothes, and on her skin. She shivered as the dampness chilled her body, and in response she rubbed her arms. Finally, another engine sounded in the distance, slowed, and began traveling down the lengthy driveway that led to her house.

Kagome stood as she saw the light from the headlights of the car approaching, and did her best to put on a cheerful smile. _'He's twenty minutes late…' _her cheery façade was the only thing covering her annoyance at Senshozsu's tardiness. The dark blue Mustang (A/N: love 'em! Maybe not dark blue, but hey!) pulled up beside the house and Senshozsu emerged from the car. "Sorry I'm late, Kagome! This mist is awful hard to drive in! And my mom forced me to change six times…" He stepped up onto the porch and smiled, his emerald eyes twinkling with a bit of guilt for being so late. Kagome took a quick look at what his mom thought was good enough to wear on a first date. Black jeans, a blue, long sleeved shirt, and sneakers. _'Eh? Sneakers? Huh, oh well!' _"It's okay! I don't really mind!" Kagome waved a hand and smiled. Senshozsu sighed in relief and glanced at her choice of outfit, a jean(s) skirt and a green tee-shirt. Simple, but flattering, he smiled. "So…where are we going?" Kagome quirked an eyebrow at him and her question jerked him back to reality.

"Oh, right! I guess I forgot to tell you! My dad cooks at a nice restaurant in town, so naturally when I told him I had a date today; he invited us to 'dine upon a feast fit for a king'. Made by him, of course!" Kagome laughed at his facial expression when he told her what his dad had said. Maybe this wasn't going to be such a drag after all. "Shall we?" Senshozsu offered Kagome his arm and straighten up, not so different from a noble perfectionist. "We shall!" She took his arm and he guided her down the porch steps, having a hard time suppressing her giggles. Once he had escorted Kagome to the passenger side of his car (A/N: for any of you that are interested, Senshozsu is sixteen.) Senshozsu got in the drivers seat and headed back up the driveway. "So! On a rating of one to ten, how nice is this restaurant your father works at?" Kagome cocked her head and looked at the boy sitting beside her, who glanced at her briefly when she asked the question and then returned his eyes to the road. "Well, I'd have to say….around nine or ten. After all, he does cook as second in line for head chef at a top notch restaurant!"

Senshozsu smiled at Kagomes reaction, which was a slack jaw. "You're taking me _there? _On a first date? Why?" "Well, as my mother told me too many times to count, make the most of your first impression, so I think that's what I'm doing!" Kagome blushed ever so slightly at the special treatment, and at the fact that he was really trying to impress her. "But we have met before now." Senshozsu glanced at her again and replied, "yes, but this is your first impression of me on a more intimate level, correct?" As he realized what he was saying he blushed, and Kagome did too. "Yeah, I guess so…" After that the ride to the restaurant was quiet, but not uncomfortable. And with this spare time Kagome let her mind wander. _'I wonder…how Inuyasha is doing….and the others…how will they complete the jewel without me and the shards we have collected?' _she stole a quick glance at Senshozsu out of the corner of her eye and pondered some more. _'He's so nice! But, even though he makes me laugh, and he IS pretty easy on the eyes, it's just not the same….not the same as when I'm with Inuyasha…' _(A/N: I had you thinking that she might fall for him, didn't I? Like I said, this is an Inu/Kag fic! No other lovers for Kagome are allowed!) Finally they reached their destination and Senshozsu got out and walked around the car, opening the door for the young priestess. "Madame!" Again he offered her his arm and she took it, nodding at him with a happy smile on her face. They walked into the restaurant, which was called Tamekos' Palace. When she saw how grand and fancy the place was Kagome could not help but stare in awe. Senshozsu noticed the expression on her face and smiled in satisfaction and then signaled to a waiter. "Tameko, who happens to be the head chef as well as the owner of this place, is one of my fathers' friends. She loves to cook food from all over the world, so you can get anything from sushi to a cheeseburger and fries here. Table for two, please." The waiter seated the two and handed them their menus, straightened his jacket, and then politely asked what they wanted to drink.

The night went smoothly, filled with laughter over funny stories they swapped, ranging from embarrassing moments while at a restaurant to stupid things that had occurred when hanging out with friends, such as the unfortunate happening in which Kagome laughed so hard once that the soda she was drinking had spewed out her nose. Feel the burn, literally. At one point when both teens were silent Kagome glanced around at the other people dining. They were all dressed so formally and here she was in a jean(s) skirt and a tee-shirt. _'If I had known we were coming to a place like this I would've dressed for the occasion! But Senshozsu didn't dress in anything fancy….I guess he's used to coming in regular clothes because this is his fathers work place.' _She noticed Senshozsu looking at her, and she turned to meet his gaze. The instant she locked eyes with him he glanced down at his half eaten plate Alfredo noodles, his cheeks warming in embarrassment. Kagome smiled and then continued eating, and after a few seconds to let his face cool down Senshozsu did too.

The night drew to a close, and after Senshozsu's father had come out and thoroughly embarrassed the both of them Kagome was once again riding shotgun, pondering over the nights events on her way home. "Well Kagome, did you like Tamekos' Palace? How would _you _rate it on a scale of one to ten?" Senshozsu's question snapped her out of her daydream and she mulled over the thought for a while. Finally reaching a decision she replied and a smile spread across her face. "I would have to say ten. Those churros were absolutely fabulous!" a dreamy expression spread across her face as she remembered the savory taste. "Huh!" Senshozsu chuckled a bit and smiled, his emerald orbs twinkling with delight. "Yeah, I remember when dad brought me home a churro from the restaurant when I was little. I think that was one of the best things I have ever tasted!" his eyes fogged over as he recalled the event from his past. Kagome smiled and nodded, and then turned to watch the world go by outside the car window. It wasn't at all foggy in town, but as they traveled through the neighboring countryside the fog closed in around them, forcing Senshozsu to turn on his fog lights and slow down.

"Well! Here we are!" Senshozsu parked and got out, once again opening Kagomes door for her. "You know, I can get the door myself." She tilted her head and quirked her eyebrow, an amused look playing across her features. "I know, but its common courtesy for a gentleman to open the door for a lady." He bowed and locked gazes with her, and for a second she truly believed he was being serious, until she noticed the mischief in his eyes and his face broke into a grin. "Huh. Right." Kagome rolled her eyes and walked up onto the porch, Senshozsu following behind. "Really!" He laughed and she turned to look at him, snorting in amusement. The air was filled with a thick silence that lasted for a few seconds, the obnoxious sounding snort echoing in the teens' ears. Senshozsu raised his eyebrows as Kagomes face began to turn beat red in attempt to hold in the on coming laughter. The attempt was futile when Senshozsu began to laugh, and soon the night echoed with their uncontrollable howling. After a few moments the last of the giggles died down and the two stood on the porch, their gaze locked. "'Night, Kagome." Without really thinking Senshozsu leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Kagomes cheek causing her to blush furiously. He turned around and headed to his car without hesitation, not wanting to stand there and face Kagome any longer, because in truth he was blushing too. "Goodnight, Senshozsu." Kagome whispered and touched her cheek, wondering what brought on that little spill of emotion from him.

"Hey, Kagome?" He turned around and looked up at her on the porch, his hand resting on the car door handle. "Yeah?" "Do you think, we could maybe….do this again sometime? I really enjoyed having dinner with you." At his last remark Kagomes face flushed pink and she paused for a moment, letting the night really sink in. "Uh…Uh-huh. Sure." She nodded dumbly, earning a smile from the emerald-eyed boy. "Great. I would really like that." When that was said Senshozsu turned back to his car and got in, driving away and leaving Kagome standing alone on the porch. But not for long! Whose mother wouldn't spy on her daughter when she was having a moment with a fine looking guy?

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Inuyasha had stayed in the Goshinboku tree, mulling over all of the things that had happened since Kagome had first pulled out the arrow that stuck him to the very tree he was occupying. All the quarrels they had with each other, all the demons they had overcome….and then there were those, _moments._ Those times when he and Kagome had been at peace with one another, and had experienced something quite special because of it. Yes, those moments were few, but they were the most precious thing to Inuyasha at the present. But, they were also the things that were making him hurt so much. He didn't like to show it, and when he did it made him feel vulnerable. It had always been one of his top priorities to keep every last self exposing emotion bottled up so no one could use them, cause him any more pain than he had already endured. But without Inuyasha fully knowing it until now, Kagome had worked her way past that wall, and when they were alone it showed. She could see his very soul, and now that was tearing him apart.

Inuyasha had liked that, having someone around who cared about him no matter what he looked like or what he was. That was why it had ripped his heart out when he lost her, lost the only one who could truly understand him and his stubborn, untrusting ways. Even though Inuyasha never told Kagome, he didn't dare express it in even the slightest subtly that he was glad she got through to him and made him feel accepted. So now he felt betrayed, unwelcome around anyone. After all, every single person who had ever shown him compassion had been taken away from him, either in death or leaving him behind. There was a flicker of movement on the ground, and immediately Inuyasha locked onto it and watched in curiosity at the events that played out before him. There was a bird, fluttering its wings and hopping around in distress. At first the hanyou wondered what could have this bird in such a state, but then he saw why. Lying on the ground was a little baby bird, and when he flicked his ears in the birds' direction he could hear its pitiful squeaks and the parents distressed cooing.

The baby must have fallen out of the nest and had injured itself from the fall, and now it was dying and the parent could do nothing but watch. In a few moments the babies cries for help to its parent weakened and faded away all together. The mother bird hopped around the baby, and then it stopped and watched as the helpless little thing passed on. Inuyasha perked up his ears when the parent began to whistle a tune of mourning for its lost young. It then flew up into the branches of a nearby tree and perched, still whistling out a song of sadness. Moments passed and the bird halted its upset song and flew to another tree, joining a second bird. The two sat and chirped back and forth for a bit, and then they flew up into the very top branches of the tree and began to sing. It wasn't a song of mourning or sadness, it was happy and uplifting. That bird had been quite upset with the loss of its young, but it had mourned and now it decided it was time to move on. _'Yes,' _Inuyasha thought, _'the bird has mourned its loss, but now it has moved on to continue its life. I have been in this state of misery for long enough. Kagome's gone, so now…..I must….move on.' _

His piercing golden eyes watched the birds and listened to their song until the two flew away. Yes, it was indeed time for him to move on. At that instant he felt such an overcoming sense of relief it almost shocked him enough to cause him to fall out of the tree. Somewhere in the back of his mind though, he had a knowledge that this wasn't over. Kagome was coming back someday, and they would finally finish their journey. How else was the Feudal Era going to escape from this time of turmoil and darkness? If the future Japan was such a lively place void of all the evil that was about now, then a certain miko must come back and purify the jewel, and best of all, aid in the defeat of Naraku. Inuyasha lifted himself off the gnarled tree branch and leapt to the next, working his way back to the village. No more clam shell life for him! It was time to get back to the everyday, stubborn hanyou life! The dog demon stopped dead in his tracks, and his eyes widened as he realized how far back he was going to have to go in his life to reach the point of 'everyday, stubborn hanyou life'.

'_I haven't been like that for over….fifty years!' _The thought struck him hard. He had to go back before Kagome, before the Shikon no Tama, before Kikyo. But, he wanted to keep that special little part of him that Kagome had melted, that part that was more trusting, more forgiving. He had given her nothing, and yet she went out of her way to soften him up, to bring him closer to being a caring, kind person. Inuyasha looked to the sky and sighed, the stars glittering in his eyes. _'Goodnight, Kagome.'_

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Kagome stared out her window at the night sky, the moon and stars reflecting in her cocoa brown eyes. _'Inuyasha….I miss you…' _She sighed and looked down at the porch roof, replaying what had happened when Senshozsu had brought her home. Her fingers brushed ever so slightly over her cheek as she recalled his little kiss. _'He kissed me….on the cheek, but still. Senshozsu kissed me! But, I don't feel that way, now that I think about it. It was almost……awkward! I should tell him Monday….that it just cannot be.' _Kagome sighed again and turned away from the window, shaking her head tiredly. "I hope yawn that he isn't upset…." She plopped herself down on the bed and sat for a while, watching as the leaves from a tree in the yard danced in and out of the moonlight creating strange shadows on her floor. She yawned again and stretched, arching her back in a very cat-like manner. _'Well, I think it's time for me to hit the sack. Goodnight…..Inuyasha….' _she curled up under her blankets and closed her eyes, sleep overtaking her body. But just before she was fully out, she could have sworn she heard a certain silver-haired hanyou whisper goodnight right back.

Kagome woke up bright and early, birds twittering outside her window, the fresh scent of spring tingling her nose….and an annoying alarm clock blaring Change the World in her ear. She smashed her fist down on it, successfully shutting it up and knocking it to the floor. _'Stupid clock…..I really need to get a new one. That one always gets me up a few hours early!' _Groggily opening her eyes she hunted around the floor with her hand by the bed stand, too tired to actually pick up her head and look down to see where the alarm clock was. Finally her fingers bumped into said object and she picked it up, staring blurry eyed at it. Her eyes widened considerably and she sat straight up, glaring in disbelief at the insolent little mechanism. "Four o'clock!??! This stupid thing woke me up at FIVE O'CLOCK!?!?! On the WEEKEND!?!??! I should be sawing logs right now!!!" In a fit of annoyance she threw the clock on the floor and hopped out of bed, attempting to smash it with her foot. It was then that she remembered she had no sort of protection on her foot.

This worked Kagome up even more, and she stormed over to her closet and pulled out one of her metal spiked cleats that she could no longer use for sports, jammed her foot into it, stomped back over to the poor defenseless little alarm clock and successfully smashed it to pieces. She grunted with satisfaction at her work and glared at the wreckage, still peeved that the once functional clock had woken her so early. Kicking off her single cleat and shoving it back into her closet she threw her hands up in frustration. "Great! Now I'm totally awake with nothing to do, and I have no alarm clock!" She sighed as her annoyance seeped away, and she looked out the window. The very first rays of sunlight were just beginning to peek over the horizon and lighten the sky, hinting the start of a new day. "Well, there's no point in going back to sleep now! Besides, I don't have anything to wake me up anymore." At that remark Kagome shot a glare at the small pile of rubbish on her floor. Stupid dysfunctional alarm clock….

Slipping into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt Kagome snuck downstairs and out the front door. Amazingly enough no one woke up when she took a shower and crashed to the floor in a sleepy haze while trying to get her jeans on. Warm showers always made her sleepy. Oh, the steamy hot goodness…..just thinking about it made Kagome shiver in delight. Ever since she had left the Feudal Era she appreciated hot showers A LOT more! In her daydream state Kagome slipped down the wet porch steps and almost fell face first into the mud below if she hadn't snapped back to reality and grabbed onto the railing for dear life. After her slip up she found herself gripping the railing and sitting on the wet steps, her eyes wide with shock at her near dirt-meet-face experience. Picturing how she must have looked sliding down the stairs and currently sitting in this awkward position she did her best to keep from laughing out loud at her own strangeness, causing her eyes to water. No, mornings were definitely not for this young miko! They made her act like a nutcase……

Kagome finally stood up, brushed herself off, and carefully made her way down the rest of the stairs. _'Maybe I'll take a walk in the woods….or should I go up the road?' _She stepped around the corner of the house and looked first up her driveway, then down the field at the woods. It was dark, and there could possibly be some insane maniac driving around just looking for someone to kidnap. _'I'll walk in the woods!' _She quickly darted around the side of the house and took on last fleeting glance up the driveway before scurrying across the field. It was fairly light out, considering the moon was still up and the sun was beginning to rise. This time of day was so magical, when the sun and the moon shared the sky, stars still visible on the furthest edge from the rising sun. Kagome sighed contentedly and walked through the forest, taking in every bit of it. The sights, the smells, the sounds…they were all so different than the daytime. An owl hooted wearily and Kagome looked up just in time to see it swoop down into the tree branches and retreat for the day. She walked on, breathing in the crisp, twilight air. There was a flash of yellow-green eyes in the brush nearby and then they were gone.

At the sight of them Kagome instantly thought of Inuyasha, and she began to wonder how her friends were doing back in the Feudal Era. This had become a regular habit. Whenever Kagome saw something that reminded her of them-- somebody wearing a red long-sleeved shirt, a cream colored cat, a little boy with red-orange hair-- she would begin to ponder about their wellbeing. A robin began to sing a song announcing the new day and Kagome was sidetracked from her thoughts as she watched the little brown and red bird flit through the canopy and burst out into the open sky. Once again Inuyasha came to mind as she remembered how she used to ride on his back whenever they were in hurry to get somewhere, which was probably about ninety-five percent of the time. Yes, life in the Feudal Era was eventful and dangerous, and here it was…….dull and boring. "I don't know how I managed before I went back in time! Normal life is such a drag!" Kagome sighed and walked on. The sun had begun to show itself to the world, ever so cautious in its arrival.

The stars had faded out all together and the moon had decided it was time for it to take its leave of this part of the vast sky, which put an end to the short, but ever so magical time of twilight. Kagome stopped and stared on into the woods before her, slightly peeved that she had been walking for a while now and there was no sign of an outlet. Not that this was a bad thing, of course! But she had set out the first time to find something mysterious at the end of these vast roots, and the end itself was yet to be found. But now it was time for Kagome to head back to her house and leave this search for another day. Upon turning around she saw an adorable little puppy sitting at her feet. It was white all over except for a brown patch over its eye and the tip of its tail was brown. It had pointy little ears, somewhat like Inuyashas', and crystal blue eyes. Kagome just stared at the sweet little bundle of fur for a moment, and when she did nothing the puppy cocked its head, blinking curiously.

"Aw!! Here boy! Come here, I won't hurt you!" She kneeled down and beckoned the puppy with one hand as she inched forward.

The little dog shied away, and wagged its tail, almost as if it wanted to play. Finally it turned and scampered away, but not before it barked and pounced on Kagomes unsuspecting hand, giving it a slobbery lick. Kagome called out for the puppy to come back, but in vain. This dog wasn't like Inuyasha, who always seemed to be there when she wanted him around, heck he was even there when she didn't want him to be!

With a shake of her head Kagome started back to her house once more, her mind drifting back to her feudal friends. After few moments the little puppy totally disappeared from her thoughts, leaving her to contemplate on more pressing matters. Getting used to having a regular life again was harder than she thought. No more demons, no more Naraku, no more Inuyasha…….and no more jewel shards. _'Wait, that's not entirely true! I still have the shards we collected when I was in the Feudal Era!' _Kagome picked up her pace, and after what seemed like an eternity of endless trees she reached her house. Once she had quietly snuck back in and made her way up to her room she opened a drawer on her dresser and pulled out the Shikon jewel shards. Kagome stared at them for a while, and then with a frustrated sigh she threw them back into her dresser and flopped down onto her bed. Getting used to life here was hard. But leaving the Feudal Era behind was even harder. And even though Kagome never really showed it, not being around Inuyasha and knowing that he probably hated her for leaving him and not even saying why was eating her up inside.

That was it! She was going back to the shrine and she was going to at least try to tell Inuyasha why she left. And if she couldn't get through the well……..then she'd figure it out when she got there.

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I'm so sorry I haven't updated for like…..a month!!! Please don't hurt me!! Hides under the bed I'm such a lazy slacker……and this chapter probably sucks really badly. So sorry! But anywho, back to the matter at hand. I fixed up the friend part!!! So now it shouldn't seem as stupid as it was before. And just to let you know, this turned out totally different than I expected. When the new friend part was first thought of, believe you me it was a totally different idea. Thanks a heap to all my awesome reviewers!! And if you have any seriously good ideas that you would like to be in the story, just email me and I'll see if I can put it in! Later days!!

Mistoffelees Shadow


	8. Kagome Returns!

**Disclaimer- **uh-huh. You know the drill.

Kagome's Return!! 

Kagome lay sprawled out on her bed, shifting some serious gears in her head. For two hours she had done nothing but laze around like a zombie, consumed in her thoughts. She wanted to go back, no. She _needed _to go back, but there was one little problem. She was fifteen. Her birthday was only a few months away, but that didn't matter. She was fifteen and in the eyes of the law eye roll it was illegal for her to be on the road. Crap.

Her mother was at work, and she didn't trust her grandpa…….well, she trusted him, just not his sanity or his ability to drive. Wait, could he even drive!? Oh well, that wasn't the point anyway. She had to find someone to drive her back home……and just like that Kagome shot off her bed and dashed for the phone. She knew who could take her!! Oooooh!!! Things were looking up! ………….aaand then they crashed to the ground.

Kagome wanted to call Senshozsu and ask him if he could take her back to her old home, but there were a few _tiny _problems with that. First, he didn't know where she lived before, and since she slept most of the way to her new house, she didn't know either. Not that she would remember, but…….oh wait! A roadmap! Problem one: solved. Second problem: _why _would he want to take her back there? No, more importantly, wouldn't he wonder why she wanted to go back? I mean, she could visit her friends over vacation, and she hadn't forgotten anything of significance, so if Senshozsu got suspicious she was doomed. She couldn't tell him she wanted to see one of her old _male _friends! That might not go over too well, seeing as how he was the one taking her……..

Kagome sighed. _'Well, if I just ask and he says yes without suspicion I'm in the clear. But if he asks why I want to go back, I don't have any logical excuses that will save me from feeling guilty for lying! Darn it…'_ Then she shrugged and picked up the phone. She could at least try, right? Or maybe not. You see, she just remembered problem number three: she didn't even know Senshozsu's phone number. Well, even if she had to call the wrong number six times she would get through! I mean, when using the phone book there's always more than one person with the same last name, which kinda sucked. And, Kagome would just have to guess because she never did find out what Senshozsu's dads name was. Well, ten minutes and three embarrassing phone calls later she finally got through to Senshozsu.

"Hi, this is Kagome Higurashi. May I speak to Senshozsu please?"

"Hey Kagome, this is Senshozsu!"

"Oh hi! Hey, I was wondering if you'd like to go on……a little road trip today?"

"Sure, where to?"

"I kinda wanted to visit my old house. Are you up for it?"

"Yeah, but just one thing, do you know the way?"

"No, but I do have a map. I slept most of the way here…."

"Okay. But why do you want to go so early? It's only seven thirty."

"Well, it takes about two hours to get there, and I don't know how long I'm going to stay. I want to see my old friends, and I'm a bit curious about our old shrine. It bugs me not knowing what kind of people moved in."

"Alright, when do you want me to come out and pick you up?"

"Now would be good, if that's okay with you."

"Sure, no problem! I'll be there soon, bye!"

"Thanks Senshozsu, see ya soon!"

Kagome set the phone back down on the hook and punched the air with her fist. She was going home!! And best of all, Senshozsu hadn't even asked why! It's a good thing he was only a few months away from his seventeenth birthday. _'Now that I'm thinking about it, I wonder why he's older than everyone else. I mean, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would get held back for failing….in fact; he's one of the smartest people I know! Hmmm, I'll just have to ask him when he gets here.'_ Kagome hurried back up to her room and grabbed a purse that she never used off of her dresser. Her mother had gotten it for her when they first moved here not too long ago, but it was a bit big for her liking. And now she was grateful to her mother for getting it. It was perfect for carrying all the stuff she was taking with her!

Kagome bustled about her room, grabbing the jewel shards out of her dresser drawer, some stashed chocolate off the top of her desk, a bottle of aspirin (Lord knows she would need it if she got back to the Feudal Era and Inuyasha had been waiting just to chew her to pieces!), her wallet, and a picture of Kyana, Rhea, and her standing in front of the school with silly smiles on their faces (just so her old friends wouldn't think that she was a social outcast here). Kagome double checked to make sure she had everything in her purse just as she heard a car honking outside.

"That must be Senshozsu, I better get going!" Kagome raced down the stairs and was passing the kitchen when she thought of something. She dashed in, flung open the cupboard doors and glanced around until she spotted what she came for. Maybe Inuyasha would be easier on her if she had some Ramen. She stuffed that into her purse and raced out the door, and ran into Senshozsu in the process.

"Oh hey Kagome! I was just coming to get you incase you didn't hear the horn." He smiled down at her and glanced at the purse. "Are you planning on taking your house with you? I mean, it looks like you packed enough!" he laughed.

"Yeah, I just wanted to take some stuff to show my old friends. I think they'll want to leech as much information out of me as possible, and it'll be easier to explain if I have some 'memoirs' to go along with it." Kagome smiled back at Senshozsu and ran her hand through her hair.

"So, are we ready to go?" she gestured to the car parked in her driveway.

"I am if you are!" Senshozsu shrugged and turned to the stairs. "Oh, and did you remember the map? We can't get along without it!" He looked back at Kagome over his shoulder.

"Oops! I almost forgot about that, thanks for reminding me!" Kagome headed back into the house and tracked down a map that her mother had used to get to her new house.

Kagome reappeared at the door and laughed. "Onward, James!" Senshozsu grinned and got in the car.

"Where to, milady?" He chuckled and gestured to the map in Kagomes hands.

"I'm headed home!" She opened the map and smiled when she saw that her mother had highlighted the roads that had brought them here.

This was going to be fabulous! She was going to see Inuyasha again, her old shrine, her friends in from the past and present, Inuyasha……uh-oh. What if the well still wouldn't let her through? What would happen then? Would she be forced to live with the fact that Inuyasha probably hated her for leaving without an explanation or without giving him the jewel shards? A shiver of dread pulsed through Kagomes' body and she squeezed her eyes shut against the thought. No, the well would open! She would get through and see her feudal friends again! And she would tell them what had happened and how she tried to come back but the well wouldn't let her through and….oh. What was she going to do with Senshozsu? Hold that thought…

"Hey Kagome, where to now?"

"Take a left here and keep going straight for about…six miles. Heh, it's a good thing my mom wrote verbal directions on the back! Hmmm….doesn 't really look like her hand writing though….oh my god!"

"What!? What's wrong Kagome?"

At the bottom of the map, it says: 'hope to see you soon Koari, drive safely! Love Jamie."

"Who's Jamie? I didn't know you had a father."

"No….I don't. My dad was killed by a drunk driver…." Kagome stared at the little note, her mind flooded with questions. Who was this Jamie guy? How was he in relation to her mother? And what _kind _of relationship did he have with her? Were they gulp ……dating? Kagome winced at the thought, hurt filling her chest. If her mother was 'with' this guy, then why didn't she know? Why would her mother keep something like this from her? Kagome stared at the paper, confusion marring her features. But she was snapped out of her trance when Senshozsu spoke.

"Hey, Kagome? Where do I go now?" His voice was soft and careful, void of its previous joy.

"Take a right…..and…go for…about eight miles…" Kagome was in a haze.

She was upset, maybe even a little angry with her mom because she hadn't been told about this guy. Yeah, she might have been a little hurt that her mom had chosen another man, but it wouldn't be utterly devastating or anything like that! She was only four when her dad as killed, so she really didn't remember him. And besides, Kagome was sure that she could learn to live with the man her mother had chosen. Seeing how her mother had chosen him, he definitely couldn't be bad! What was happening to her? Kagome had gone from happily busy with her double life and handling the temper tantrums of a hanyou that had stolen her heart, to privately sulking about her lost lifestyle and friends, along with the separation from her secret love. And now she had fond that her own mother was keeping secrets from her!

"Agh! My life couldn't get any worse!" Kagome dropped her head down on the dashboard of the car, and it landed with an audible 'thud'.

"Now Kagome, don't say such a thing! It will provoke bad luck. You know how it goes in the movies!" Senshozsu scolded.

"Yeah, like I care if it suddenly starts to rain. I would prefer it to this perfect sunny day! It makes me feel even worse." She turned her head so she was looking at Senshozsu, and when he glanced at her he couldn't help but laugh.

"What? What's so funny?" Kagome furrowed her brow in annoyance and confusion.

"Nothing! Nothing….." Senshozsu stifled his laughter, but his eyes were still dancing in his silence.

Kagome glared at him for a brief second before she picked her head up and flipped down the visor. As always, a girls first thought is that there is something on their face, or perhaps in their teeth. And indeed, there was something marring her features. A large red spot, right smack dab in the middle of her forehead. Kagome narrowed her eyes and stared at it in the small mirror for a few seconds, and then she noticed how stupid she looked. She was sitting there, leaned forwards so she could see in the dinky mirror, her eyes all but crossed in an attempt to see the spot for herself with a scowl planted on her face.

In an instant Kagome was laughing, and for the time being she had forgotten her troubles. Ah, how the simple quirks in ones life could brighten a dull day. The rest of the drive to the shrine was cheery, and the two travelers conversed about simple things. Even though Kagome was happy, her recent misfortunes never really left her mind. So, whenever silence enveloped the car, she would mull over them until Senshozsu broke the silence. Finally, their drive was almost at its end, and Senshozsu chose to use this time to ask Kagome his first serious question since they discovered the name of a mystery man on the back of the map.

"Kagome, why did you really want to come here? And don't say it's because you want to see what kind of people live at the shrine now, because I'm not buying it. You could have easily found out by asking the realtor. And, if your next excuse was to visit old friends, that's just as easily done over the summer, when school is of no concern. Now spill it." Senshozsu pulled up next to a familiar set of stairs and parked the car.

Kagome was taken by surprise. She had come to know Senshozsu as a lighthearted, carefree kind of guy. He wasn't one to be suspicious of other peoples' actions. Kagome locked gazes with him for a few moments, and then she spoke.

"Senshozsu, I was lying a bit when I said I wanted to know who was living at the shrine, because I have already met them. They're an elderly couple who are good friends with my grandpa. But, I didn't lie to you when I said I wanted to see my friends again. I really must, because I never got to say goodbye. They…..they didn't even know I was leaving." Kagome didn't look away from Senshozsu once.

She was telling the truth, and there was no reason for her to feel guilty about it, but she still did. In the pit of her stomach she felt the knot of guilt twinge ever so slightly. Yes, she had told him the truth, but it was very vague at that. Her friends of the present time had been given short warning before she left, but the ones that resided on the other side of the well were still in the dark about her disappearance. She needed to go back and explain to them, to make things right. And even if Inuyasha refused to speak to her again, she would feel much better knowing that he had heard her apology for taking such an abrupt leave.

Senshozsu furrowed his brow and stared deeply at Kagome for minutes on end, searching her face, searching the very depths of her eyes for any sign of deceit. The tension that had built in those few moments flooded away like the release of breath held much too long. Senshozsu sighed and smiled, a content shimmer gracing his eyes.

"Very well then, Kagome. Should we be going now? I'm sure you would like to have a look around your old house, eh?" He chuckled and got out of the car.

Kagome grinned and nodded as she too left the confines of the vehicle. As soon as she was out she stared up the steps to her old home, taking in a deep, satisfied draught of air. It made her giddy, finally returning to the shrine after bearing that aching homesickness that wouldn't go away. In a mad dash she raced up the steps, Senshozsu quick in pursuit. When Kagome finally topped the last step and hit even ground she cursed herself for being so rash. Never, never again would she attempt a full barrel run up those thrice accursed steps!! Senshozsu, as short of breath as he was managed a hearty laugh.

"Now what on Earth possessed you to do such a thing? Sure, it must be nice to be home, but was that necessary? I haven't run like that in….a while, let alone up a devilishly huge set of stairs! I swear…." He shook his head, a grin spread across his face.

After the two caught their breath, Kagome led the way to her old home. She knocked politely, waiting for an answer. Senshozsu let his gaze wander from one thing to the next, taking in the sight of the shrine. When he spotted the well house he nudged Kagome.

"Hey, what's in there?" He eyed it curiously, waiting for Kagome to reply.

"Oh that? That's the Bone Eaters Well. I know, I know, it's a really weird name, but that's what it's called. I'll show it to you once Mr. and Mrs. Idai know we're here."

Not long after the door opened to them and Mrs. Idai squinted out at them through thick lenses.

"Oh! Kagome dear! Come in, come in! It's such a nice surprise to see you. How's the old bugger doing? I'm sure he's missing the shrine quite terribly, isn't he?" She smiled and winked at Kagome as she wandered into the house.

Kagome nodded. "He complains every once and a while, but he'll get over it. I was just wondering, what did you use my old room for?" She cocked her head slightly and glanced at the stairs.

"Oh, it's the same as you left it. We're too old and rickety to get up and down those stairs, so the rooms above are untouched." Mrs. Idai said. "So, who is this fine young lad? Have you finally found yourself a good boyfriend?" The elderly lady nudged Kagome in the ribs slightly with her elbow.

Kagome blushed furiously, as did Senshozsu, but not nearly as much. Once her face cooled she explained why she was here with him.

"Ah, so you want to have a look around, do you? Go right ahead! If you plan on staying, I'll make dinner."

Kagome smiled. "That would be wonderful, thanks Mrs. Idai!"

After she showed Senshozsu her room and nearly every other bit of the house she dragged him out to the well house. She dashed ahead of him, eager to be inside. In a matter of moments she would be back with her old friends! Oh wait. There was that little problem again. What to do with Senshozsu. Surely he would have a fit if Kagome were to jump into the well and disappear, in a blue light no less! He'd have the police notified before Kagome could even reach Kaedes place. And then everything would pretty much suck after that.

"Hey Kagome, I'll be right back, okay? I haven't seen a bathroom since I got up this morning, and drinking so much water on our little trip over here has got nature calling!" Senshozsu laughed and scratched the back of his head.

"Alright, I'll wait here till you get back then." Kagome couldn't believe her luck! This was perfect timing, she could get through the well without being seen! There was still the matter of Senshozsu finding her gone when he came back, but that was the furthest thought from her mind at the time being.

With a giggle of unbound joy Kagome leaned over the edge of the well. _'Here I come Inuyasha! I promised to help get rid of Naraku, and I'm not about to go back on my word!' _With that brief pause done and over with Kagome couldn't contain her excitement any longer and she jumped over the edge down into the well.

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Haha!! I am so evil to you guys, aren't I? I just couldn't help myself. I was going to add the rest on, but then it would've taken me longer to update, and I really don't need people beating down my door so they can yell at me for being a lazy bum. I'll try to update more frequently, and I'm really sorry for taking so long, but school is taking up my time. Grr, I wish it would just go away! Oh well, life goes on! But anywho, my next chapter won't take as long as this one to get up, because my writers block plagues me no more! And I promise the next chapter will be longer. By a page at least. Until then, later days my readers!

Mistoffelees Shadow


	9. Problems, Heartache,

**Disclaimer- **Alright. This is my last disclaimer because I'm sick and tired of putting these things up, and don't think it's necessary seeing as how all eight of the previous chapters have disclaimers, so there.

Chapter Nine- Problems, Heartache, and One Depressing Rainy Day

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She just sat in a state of shock, silent tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. The well had still refused her passage. She was trapped here, unable to return to the Feudal Era. It was a nightmare in the waking world. Then suddenly, her silent world of drowning sorrow was shattered.

"Kagome? Kagome where are you?" It was Senshozsu, back from the toiletries. She couldn't face him like this; no she was a total wreck.

Kagome wiped the tears off her face and stood, brushing away the excess dirt on her jeans. She waited a moment to answer, drawing in a few deep breaths and regaining her composure. Or rather, what was left of it. If Senshozsu asked her about coming back for a lost boyfriend, she would go to pieces.

"I….I'm down here!" Kagome looked up the well and watched as a face popped over the side, a startled expression clearly visible on its face.

"Kagome! What are you doing down there? Are you okay?" Senshozsu's voice echoed down, and only a deaf man wouldn't be able to hear the worry laced in it.

"I'm fine! I just……came to get something!" Kagome turned and dropped to her knees, snatching a jewel shard from her purse and rubbing it in the dirt.

Senshozsu helped Kagome out of the well and glanced at her hand balled up around something. "So, what was so important that you needed to bury in the bottom of that well?" His eyes were lit with curiosity.

"Just this." Her voice was emotionless as she restrained herself from weeping. _'The Feudal Era…..that's what was so important. And now………and now I am not able to return.'_

Senshozsu eyed the little jewel shard, a puzzled look crossing his face. "What's that?"

"It's a jewel shard. It's the only thing that links me to my old friends now….." Kagome replied, not realizing quite fully what she had said.

"What? Your old friends? I thought they lived here." Senshozsu gave her a puzzled look.

"Huh? Oh yeah…..right. Never mind…." Kagome turned and walked out of the well house, leading the way down to Senshozsu's car.

"Are you sure you're okay Kagome?" A voice called from behind.

"I'm fine!" she feigned a cheerful smile, "so let's go visit my other friends, okay?"

"Yeah, sure….." Senshozsu replied slowly, not quite certain what to make of Kagome's sudden mood change. And he saw right through that fake smile, it wasn't very convincing.

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Inuyasha sat grumpy as ever in the boughs of the Goshinboku. Shippo had pissed him off yet again, and he had come here to blow off steam. Again. Now, ever since his little 'revelation' Inuyasha had slowly been returning to himself. He didn't look like the walking dead anymore, but his eyes were still pretty much lifeless. They didn't even hold that stubborn fire in them like before. His eyes had become like solid, unfeeling orbs of gold. Gold that had no light to make it shine.

Yes, when people say that yours eyes are the key to your heart, they really mean it. His heart was emotionless, hard once more, and it bore no fire or determination. He had nothing to fight for, so there was no point in his life. Inuyasha was just a wandering soul, battered and beaten, sad and lonely without a purpose. But there was no way that's how he was going to be on the outside!

He had to stay alive, he had to be as normal as possible for his friends' sake……and his. If he kept on going like the walking dead, he would soon be one. Without any ability to walk. And if Kagome were to ever return, he wouldn't be there to see her again, and his other friends would have to tell her that he had died of heartbreak….because of her. No, he was going to live as long as he possibly could and await the return of his Kagome. And yes, he had accepted the fact that whenever he said 'his Kagome', he really meant it and didn't argue with himself about it.

Inuyasha dropped out of the tree and wandered aimlessly……until he realized that is aimless wandering had brought him to the Bone Eaters well. Big mistake. A sharp pain wracked his body and he dropped to his knees, gripping his torso. It was just too much….he had to get away from here before he went insane from the shock. He never expected it to hurt this much when he thought about that night…..the night when Kagome left him. Inuyasha leapt to his feet and ran as fast as he could away from the well. His mind reeled and his vision swam, but he kept on running. Unbeknownst to him tears were streaming down his emotionless face.

Finally he stopped by a river running with fresh water. As soon as he reached the bank he wretched. After he wiped the bile from his mouth and drank away the foul taste in his mouth he sat and stared dumbly at the crystal clear water. He had been in so much emotional pain that it had made him sick. And he didn't even know it was coming. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought and he dunked his head in the water before him. The cold soothed him, and Inuyasha finally stopped trembling.

'_Note to self: do NOT go back to the well. Ever.' _Inuyasha began to walk back to the village, but he could still feel the aftershock from the pain spasm. His torso ached, and he walked slowly so that it would go away before he reached the village. _'Maybe…..yes, I will go back someday. But not soon, I don't think I can handle that a second time…' _Inuyasha took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. Was he really that devastated by Kagome's disappearance? So much that the emotional pain physically hurt him?

Inuyasha finally arrived at the village, and thankfully the ache had dulled to a slight twinge. It still baffled him that the sight of the Bone Eaters Well had caused such distress. It was odd to him, really. He looked to the sky, and noted the dark purple-gray clouds roiling overhead. The air was humid, warm, and still as death. This was going to be some storm indeed. Inuyasha made his way to Kaedes, avoiding all eye contact with the villagers. Ever since Kagome had left, they always acted suspicious and shifty around him. Maybe they thought that it was his fault that she was gone. Maybe it was.

"Inuyasha! Hurry up, Kaede says a storm's coming!" Shippo eyed the clouds and grinned, "And I don't doubt it!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and entered the hut. It always seemed darker without Kagome there to brighten it up. Alas, he couldn't go one day….no, one hour without thinking about Kagome! What had his life come to?! Inuyasha simply shook his head and sat down, enjoying the heated banter coming from Sango and Miroku. Ah, they truly fought like a married couple. And no doubt they'd be one once Naraku was gone. But, they couldn't get rid of him without the jewel. And Kagome had the jewel shards they had collected so far. _'Kagome….'_

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Kagome had taken Senshozsu to visit her friends, and then they headed home. The drive was utterly quiet, and when Senshozsu ever attempted conversation, Kagome would just answer with 'huh' or 'yeah, sure'. So after a while sir driver the ever talkative gave up and stared blankly at the road before him. Kagome simply waved a goodbye when she exited the car and started up the porch steps.

"Hey Kagome, are you sure you're okay?" Senshozsu called from behind. Why couldn't he just leave her alone?

"I'm fine Senshozsu. Bye." Kagome slammed the door to the house and ran to her room, ignoring the tears that flooded her eyes and blurred her vision.

Kagome collapsed on her bed in a fit of sobbing. She wasn't going back. The well had blocked her out, and Inuyasha would never know how much she cared. Nor would he know why she had left, and he probably hated her. Ah, life was so good. Full of wonderful surprises, and every sort of horrible pain imaginable. Kagome rolled over so she could see the window, and she stared at the sky thick with rain laden thunderheads. There was definitely a storm brewing overhead.

Kagome wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and sniffled. She decided she wasn't just going to lay here and bawl herself to sleep, no way! She might have just had her heart and hopes ripped to shreds today, but that wasn't going to keep her in a depression! Inuyasha would move on too, so why should she sulk? No, Inuyasha had probably already moved on, and she was alone in her misery. But there was no time for that now! She had a new life, great new friends, a guy that was seriously gorgeous that other girls vied for and he had his heart set on her……

'_But he's just not the same as Inuyasha…' _Kagome shook her head and stared defiantly out the window. She needed to go outside. Yes, that always seemed to calm her, especially when she was at the mercy of natures' wrath. She slid off the bed and walked downstairs, pausing for a moment to observe the vacant house. Wait, vacant? Where was grandpa? Kagome squinted at the note taped to the fridge. It was written in what looked like red Sharpie, so she could easily see it from the door.

Kagome,

Grandpa took Souta to

His friends' house. I don't

Know when he'll be back.

Love mom

Kagome sighed and headed out the door. So grandpa really could drive. That was an interesting thought to mull over. Kagome walked slowly across the field between her house and the woods beyond. She wanted to see it when the rain started. She hadn't got halfway when a large, cold drop of water splashed on her nose. Kagome looked at the sky and just barely saw a flash to her left. Seconds later a roll of thunder shook the earth, bringing along with it more rain and lightning.

Now Kagome really didn't want to be out in the middle of the field where she was the tallest thing, because it would seem with all her bad luck lightning might just be attracted to her instead of the scrawny tree at the opposite end of the field. Once she had entered her safe haven of trees she loosened up. Even if she did get a rush from being out with the elements, loitering in that field would be cutting it just a little too close.

She wandered for a long time, and then she noticed a large rock that marked a few feet from where she had last ended her expedition. This was the perfect time to finish her exploration of these vast old woods! Even if it was storming like no tomorrow and she was utterly drenched. Lightning flashed and the rain was driving like icy needles into Kagome's flesh, but it was absolutely exhilarating. For once she had forgotten her grief at the loss of the Feudal Era and she was enjoying herself.

Kagome walked further, and then out of nowhere the little dog she had seen before in these woods sprang off an outcropping and landed on her back. To say she was frightened would be an understatement, and terrified was only a hairsbreadth closer.

"Ahhhh!! What the heck?!!?!" Kagome twisted around so fast the pup that landed on her back only seconds before went flying off and lucky for both of them it landed on a conveniently placed patch of moss.

"Wha…? Oh! It's you again! Don't scare me like that; I think I just lost ten years!" Kagome smiled with relief and placed her hand on her chest to calm herself.

The bright eyed little dog simply shook itself off and wagged its tail. Apparently no harm was done, and the dog was just happy to see Kagome. She stared down at it curiously, and then she knelt down and tried calling it over. The puppy barked excitedly, but it didn't come any closer. Kagome inched forward to pet it but every time she moved the puppy did too.

"Huh. Fine then, if you're not going to let me come any closer, I'll be going. I've got a long way to go yet, and your games are holding me up!" Kagome smiled and shrugged carelessly as she rose to her feet and continued walking.

The dog followed her at a good distance, and all the while its tail wagged in a carefree fashion.

"Hmmm…you need a name. I can't just say 'here puppy puppy' every time! How about….James?" The little dog stopped wagging its tail and his head drooped. That was a no.

"Casey? Lou?...Winchester?" Kagome rattled off names but to no avail. The little pup just wouldn't have any of them.

Kagome sat where she was and stared thoughtfully at the little pup. Then suddenly, the dog wandered over and lied down on its back, revealing its pink underside. Kagome noticed there was something tattooed on it.

"Hmmm….it says….Nicky. Oh! Your name is Nicky, isn't it?" Kagome smiled down at the puppy, who in turn began to wag his tail and bark in excitement.

Kagome laughed and tickled Nicky's stomach before she rose to her feet. She decided now that she had a name for the dog, and her mood had lightened because of Nicky's enthusiasm, she would continue her walk. Nicky pranced at her side, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. It wasn't long before Kagome came across a large, dark cave. Her eyes widened in interest, but Nicky jumped in front of her and began to growl.

"Calm down, Nicky! We'll only go in a little ways, and besides, by the looks of the mound this cave has created, it doesn't go in very far. But, Kagome hadn't thought it over, and if she had, she wouldn't have decided on going in. Caves can go underground you know, far, far underground……….

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Inuyasha was fed up with sitting in the hut with nothing to do. In fact, he was eager to get outside and enjoy the storm. Just as long as it didn't blow over any of the trees in his woods, he'd be fine. So without a word to the rest of the group he stood and headed out the door. That is, until Shippo grabbed him by the leg and tried to pull him back inside.

"You can't go outside Inuyasha! It's storming!"

"Feh, like I care! I'm tired of sitting around doing nothing. So get off of me!" With that he shook his leg and sent Shippo tumbling back into the hut.

He didn't look back again as he exited the hut. There was no one in there to look at. No one to reassure that he would be fine. Well, at least not the one that he wished was there. _'Kagome…..where'd you go?' _Inuyasha raced off in no particular direction, but he made sure he wasn't anywhere near the well. He wasn't going through an episode like that again. Just thinking about it made his torso ache with remembrance. And the taste of his own vomit wasn't so great either…..

Inuyasha slowed to a walk and just watched the rain fall as it soaked his face and hair. It's a good thing his fire rat robe was water resistant… the lightning flashed above his head, but he paid no heed. He was out to clear his thoughts and ponder………things. He sighed. _'I miss you Kagome….more than you'll ever know. Please, oh Kami please bring her back to me.' _Inuyasha stopped and stared out over a village from the hill he was on.

It looked desolate, empty. Just like his heart. Wait, there was one house that was lit. Way, way off at the edge of the village. Inuyasha puzzled at this and jumped from the hill. He walked through the empty road, peeking in windows to see if anyone was home. There was no one. Finally he came to the house that appeared to have signs of life, and without thinking he knocked on the door. _'Idiot! They're going to scream and run from you! You're a demon! Well, at least halfway. Either that they'll get their weapons and attack you! Wait, I can outrun them. I really hope no one answers the door!'_

Inuyasha mentally kicked himself for knocking when the door opened. Hopefully they wouldn't be able to tell he was a hanyou in the darkness of the storm.

"Hello?" A little boy answered the door, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"Who is it Kota?" A woman called from somewhere in the hut.

"It's a man, mama! He's…..he's got a sword!" When the little boy, Inuyasha assumed his name was Kota, had said that the woman who had spoken before appeared.

"Oh, hello. What brings you to our door in such--" the woman stopped and gasped, and then subconsciously finished her sentence. "Weather……..Kota, go to your room, now!"

Her words were harsh and the boy immediately obeyed without asking questions. The woman stared at Inuyasha with a hateful glare, her mouth set in a hard line.

"What do you want, demon?" She spat the last word with poison in her voice.

Inuyasha fought down a growl and paused before answering to control his temper. _'Think of Kagome….what would she say?' _

"I was just passing by and I wondered why your village was empty, that's all." Really Inuyasha felt absurd standing at the door of a lady's house, whom he didn't even know, in the middle of a storm, just because he was a bit curious as to why the village was vacant. It really wasn't any of his concern, but he needed something to do so he didn't have to go back to Kaedes hut.

"Oh….." The woman got a sad look in her eyes just then, and it almost seemed that she was a bit ashamed of herself for being so spiteful before. "My son and I were out bathing at the river when a demon attacked our village a few days ago. When we came back, everyone was dead. We….we had to bury them all, including my husband!" The woman began to sob, and for a moment Inuyasha felt horrible.

He was upset with the fact that Kagome had left, but he knew she was still alive. He had only thought of himself and his loss since she had gone, and he never gave a thought to the others and how they were handling it. And here was this woman, left alone with no one but her son to keep her sane after she found her husband and the rest of her village killed by a demon.

"Oh." Inuyasha hung his head so the woman wouldn't see the sorrow in his eyes. He had to go. "Well, if you're going to leave this place, Kaede would gladly take you in at our village.

He woman looked at him with astonishment.

"You…you live in a village? With humans?"

"Yeah, I do! Is that a problem?!" Inuyasha was beginning to lose control of his temper.

"No, I've just never heard of such a thing before." Her eyes clouded over like she was deep in thought and Inuyasha cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Well then, I'll come and get you two tomorrow. There is only two of you, right?" Inuyasha peered past her into the hut.

"Yes. Wait, you mean you'll come and take us to your village?" The woman looked at him with astonishment once more. Apparently she wasn't used to demons being considerate.

"Yeah." Inuyasha was done talking and he left. It was about time he got back to Kaedes….he just couldn't stand being here. It was awful, and if he really tried he could smell the faint scent of blood. Not that he wanted to smell it, but he was glad it was raining so it would be washed away. Anywhere was better than this place…..especially Kaedes.

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And that was chapter nine everybody! I hope you enjoyed it!! If you have any questions or ideas, feel free to tell me if…cough er, when you review!! Thanks a bunch to all my reviewers for the support!! For those of you who have reviewed, thanks! I don't feel like making a list now, but I will next chappie!!! And for those of you who don't review, maybe you should follow these good readers example! Aw, I'm still glad you're reading even if you don't review, so yay for you people too!!

Mistoffelees Shadow


	10. Mystery of the Cave and

Chapter Ten- The Mystery of the Cave and Naraku's Attack

Kagome found that no matter how deep she traveled, there was always a mysterious light that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. The stone of the cave was midnight black, and the strange light appeared to be blue-green, shining off the glossy walls. Nicky followed obediently, but his tail was tucked between his legs and he whined every so often. Kagome finally picked him up to stop the whining. Suddenly the floor beneath her feet collapsed when she reached what appeared to be a dead end.

"Ahhhh!!!!" Kagome screeched and expected to fall to her death, but instead she was sliding at an unimaginable speed through a small tunnel that curved and twisted, the plummet almost straight down at some points.

Finally her descent slowed as the tunnel straightened out and became level. All while this had been happening Nicky was tucked safely in her arms, but at the consequence of all his slobber blowing back in her face. Disgusting. Kagome wiped the drool from her cheeks and she finally came to a complete halt at the end of the tunnel. The cavern she saw before her made her gasp in awe. It was beautiful!!

The cavern was huge and dome shaped, and the ceiling impossibly high. Everything was the same glossy black stone, but there seemed to be an origin to the blue-green light here. There was a pool of crystal clear water in the centre of the cavern, and it appeared to be glowing. Kagome walked hesitantly over to it, curiosity urging her forward. About five feet away from the pool Kagome was startled when she realized that the smooth black stone beneath her feet was ground away into a fine, soft sand.

At the edge of the water Kagome slipped off her shoes and socks, delighted by the feel of the sand. Sitting down she dipped her feet into the cool fresh water, and she watched as the ripples sent across the water sparkled almost as if there were diamonds riding the mini-waves. Nicky dipped his muzzle into the water and eagerly lapped it up. It was then that Kagome noticed the carvings on the walls. It appeared to be an ancient battle…..wait, there were large wasp things….and a man with what looked like a tornado coming from his palm…..the Feudal Era!?

Kagome leapt to her feet and raced over, searching for…..there! A man brandishing a large sword with doggy ears atop his head. Inuyasha. Kagome then wondered if she would be there on the ancient wall.

"Ah ha!" She spotted a woman in a different picture with a small fox boy on her shoulder.

The woman had a bow drawn at some enemy, and there were lines surrounding the tip of the arrow, and Kagome assumed it was the light of her miko energy. Kagome scanned the wall for a while, picking out the stone depictions of Sango, Miroku, Kaede, Koga and his pack, Sesshomaru with Rin and Jaken, Kikyo, and Naraku. Then it hit her. What about the end of the depiction? Did it show how the war with Naraku ended? Did it…..she dared to wonder…..did it show what happened to Inuyasha? Did it show what happened after she had left?

Kagome followed her journey through the Feudal Era for about five more minutes before she came to a part she didn't remember being around for. Inuyasha was collapsed by the well, almost as if he was in pain, and the rest of the depiction was scraped away. Worry weighed down her heart at the sight of Inuyasha by the well, and she moved on only to find him standing by a house with a woman and child. '_He couldn't have…..no, I can't think like that!' _Kagome shook her head and saw in the next picture the same woman and child, but the picture branched off into three more, showing the pair changing into demons.

Yet another picture depicted them, but Naraku was floating above their heads and shooting what appeared to be a miasma at Kaede's village, and the villagers were dying from it. The last picture was only half complete, but from what was there Kagome could see that only Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were still alive, facing the demons and Naraku. _'Where's the rest of the battle? Is Naraku defeated? Does Inuyasha go to hell with Kikyo? What about Miroku and Sango, do they ever get married? I have to know!!' _Kagome pressed her hand against the cool black stone, and all of a sudden the carvings beneath her fingers began to glow pink with her miko energy.

The glow traveled down the carved map of history, and soon the entire thing was lit up, right down to the very first depiction when she arrived in the Feudal Era. From each picture a thin strand of energy traveled up the wall, meeting at the very peek of the cavern. A pink spotlight then extended down to the pool of water, and when it touched the surface there was such a bright flash of light that Kagome had to shield her eyes. When she was able to look again she stared in puzzlement at first, and then shock. Where the pool had once been there was a circular stone well made from the same glossy black stone as the rest of the cavern.

There were vines carved into the side of it, and the lip of the well was carved in the shape of a dragon. The head of the dragon came up off the well and was pointed directly at her, and when Kagome went to investigate she noticed that the mouth was shaped in such a way that a large pearl would fit snugly inside…..perhaps the Shikon jewel. A thought struck her as she peered down into the depths of the well, and she accepted the idea with an open mind.

Maybe……just maybe…. _'It could take me back to the Feudal Era! I mean, even if it doesn't the worst thing that could happen would be breaking a few bones if the well is dry…..and I would have no way to get out….'_ Kagome pondered this for a moment, but decided to jump in anyway. Life was pretty useless without Inuyasha, and if this well was a possible door to the past she was going, risks or not!! With a final hope filled prayer Kagome picked up Nicky and jumped into the well. _'Wow…this well is really deep….hey, I think I see the bottom….uh, nothing's happening!! Crap!'_

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Inuyasha had just returned to Kaede's village with 'the brat and his mother', and he was in such a foul mood that even Miroku refrained from any sort of conversation. And why was our ever-lovable hanyou in mindset to kill? Well, let's just recap the journey from the dead village to the present.

"_Mama!! I don't wanna get on his back!!" _

"_Come on sweetie! He wants to take us to a new home! Somewhere better for us."_

_The struggle continued on for another ten minutes, and after the little boy had shredded every last piece of Inuyasha's patience and insulted his half-blood, they were finally on their way to Kaede's village. But the boy was screaming bloody murder and bawling his eyes out while the mother failed to shush him. And it went on, so finally Inuyasha growled so viciously at the boy that it scared him right out of his voice. No more crying, no more screaming, just silence. Petrified silence._

"_Mommy, the half man is mean."_

"_Shush honey!" The woman then turned to Inuyasha, "I am so sorry about his behavior; Kota is usually such a sweet boy!"_

Inuyasha watched Kaede whisk them away with a very annoyed scowl on his face. For once he considered helping someone to try and be more like Kagome (because he missed the girl), and what did he get? Insulted, screamed at by a brat, and a scolding from Kaede for making him cry. Stupid kid. See if he would ever help someone again. How was it that Kagome was praised for her good deeds, when he was screeched at and reprimanded by an old lady? _'Well you idiot, you're a half demon. Hated by both races and lower than dirt.' _

His brow knitted together and he stood up on the tree branch he had been lounging in. The same tree he had sat in while eating with Kagome when he first met her. A sharp wrench at his gut forced him to abandon the tree and the memory. Damn that girl! He didn't have fee run of the world anymore. The places he used to go, they were all surrounded by memories with her. She made everything….hurt. It wasn't nearly this bad when Kikyo had died. And she had _died,_ damn it!! Kagome was alive, she was well, and she had left him for a better place in the future!

It made him angry to know that she was probably having a wonderful time without him and the Feudal Era, and he was missing her horribly, much more than he missed Kikyo as one of the living. Women….they could make your world or break it, at whim and with one single action. Like dying. Or abandoning you. Inuyasha snarled and decided he was going back to the well, even if it was a threat to his health and sanity. He was going to curse that thing into oblivion!!

Racing through the forest he arrived at the Bone Eaters Well in no time at all. But his fury was instantly quelled at the thought of Kagome poking her head out in any second. He missed her….and deep down inside, though he refused to admit it to even himself, he felt like…..a lost puppy. Inuyasha collapsed at the edge of the well and rolled over to stare up into the cloudy sky. He was a wreck. His girl was gone, his world was sinking into the clutches of evil without the Shikon no Tama to save it, and he felt like shit.

Memory after memory flooded his mind, and one seemed to linger longer than the rest. Inuyasha had told Kagome to never come back to the Feudal Era, and they were attacked by demons. And just when it was all over Kagome had returned against his command, hugging him for dear life fearing that he had died while she was gone. That was one of the few precious moments he had with the kind-hearted girl, and he cherished it. But there was one memory that hurt much more than the others and it made his heart ache with lost passion and broken dreams.

When Kagome saved him from himself. That wretched woman and her mirror had brought him so close to becoming a full demon, so close to loosing his rational mind and control over blood lust. But in that one moment, that one, cloud nine moment Kagome had saved him. She kissed him, and saved him from certain disaster. It reminded him of a song Kagome had been listening to when he went over to the future to get her the last time. She said it was called….Lips of an Angel. Yeah, that was definitely how Inuyasha defined Kagome when they had kissed.

His chest ached horribly when he remembered that event, and he gripped his torso with one arm to try and ease the hurt. It was all he could do to keep himself from falling apart again. He inhaled the humid air in deep breathes, trying to ignore the pain he suffered. He couldn't leave this place though, he had to stay and wait it out. Kagome had said once that it was better to face your hurt and come to terms with it than to try and run away. That always made things worse. If he could avoid having this pain again by dealing with it now, he would do it.

He knew he would never forget her, or stop missing her completely, but he just wanted to be able to think about their good times without feeling so horrible inside now that she was gone. The warm breeze lulled him into contentment, and after a few drowsy moments he slipped into a peaceful slumber. But it was not without dream.

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_Inuyasha's dream_

_He climbed over the side of the well and stepped onto a wooden floor. He was in the future, at the Higurashi shrine. He fisted his hands and left the building, his eyes falling on the Goshinboku tree and then the Higurashi home. Well, their previous home. Inuyasha walked slowly to the house, his heart heavy. He pushed the door open and stepped inside, greeted by stacks of boxes and luggage bags. _

_More importantly, the scent of people, the fresh scent of Higurashi. Inuyasha stared wide-eyed at Souta as he entered the dining room, playing a video game. He didn't even glance at the hanyou standing in the doorway. Said hanyou raced over to him and tried to shake his shoulder to get his attention, but his hand passed right through the boy. He then heard Mrs. Higurashi call out from somewhere else in the house._

"_Kagome, hurry up! It's time to leave!" Inuyasha pondered this. Time to leave?_

_He ran up the steps to find Kagome sitting at her windowsill, sobbing. He was at her side in an instant, pained by the sight of the upset miko. He again tried to make contact, to hug her, but he just passed right through her small form. Tears rolled down her cheeks freely, and with each drop on the carpet it wrenched at Inuyasha's heart. Suddenly he turned to see Mrs. Higurashi standing in the doorway, her eyes soft and slightly sad at the sight of her daughter. She walked over to Kagome and rubbed her back, trying to console her._

"_Mum….I'm going to miss them so much!" the poor miko sobbed, her voice cracked with sorrow._

"_It'll be okay Kagome, you will get used to our new home soon, okay? Then everything will be alright, and maybe once we're settled in you can come back and visit your friends. Does that sound good?" Kagome nodded, but she still looked broken up about leaving. _

_Mrs. Higurashi led her daughter down the stairs, trailed by the confused hanyou. Was this what happened? Was this why Kagome had gone away? Did….did she really miss him and the others? The well…she said she couldn't get through…that she didn't want to go through….was she…was she so upset about telling him she was going away that the well saved her the heartache and blocked her out? Was that it? Inuyasha watched as Kagome climbed into the car and they drove away. _

_He stood in the door, thinking. She wanted to say goodbye…but she couldn't because she was so afraid…so upset. It all made sense to him now! But the dream wasn't over yet. He was suddenly standing at the lip of another well, a deep pit of a well that seemed to go on forever into the earth. It was carved stone, and he was standing in a huge cavern of lit in a strange blue-green light. The walls were covered in a war mural, but his feet wouldn't move. _

_The well in front of his pulled his gaze back to it, and by some strange force it pulled him over the edge. He tried to grip onto something to stop his decent, but it was no use. The walls around him were slick and smooth, and he dropped like a stone. _

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Inuyasha thrashed against the side of the Bone Eaters Well and woke up, his brow damp in cold sweat. He glanced around, calming at the familiar sight of the Feudal Era. When his breath evened and his heart stopped racing his mind returned to the dream. He saw Kagome, he saw her leave. He knew it was against what she wanted. For some reason, that thought eased away all his heartache, all the doubt and anger he had. She still cared, and now he was able to think about her without pain. He could leave the well now.

The sun was rising again when he finally returned to the village, and the sky was clear and blue. It was almost as if the weather was looking up with his mood now. For a few fleeting moments he was at peace with himself. And when he arrived at the village, all of his peace was gone. There was that child and his mother, standing alone in the road. The mother no longer had a smile of sweet maternal warmth, and the boy….well, he always looked like a brat to Inuyasha. But the two were standing facing him, sadistic grins spread across their faces.

"Hello, half-demon. We're here to kill you under our masters' orders. But first, where is the jewel? Give it to ussss!" The mother figure hissed, her human form peeling away and in its place a huge python demon with scaly lizard arms and razor sharp claws.

The boy said nothing, he only nodded and his human skin peeled away as well. In his place was another, much larger hooded cobra demon with the same sort of arms and hooked razor claws. They hissed and swayed back and forth in time with each other. Apparently Naraku had sent a pair of assassin demons, and they had fought together before. No matter, just a couple more heads to viciously decapitate. He launched himself at the duo and swiftly turned to the cobra (A/N: I just now realized that Kota rhymes with Cobra...really, unintentional! But it is fitting...) and drew the Tetsaiga, preparing to strike. But the snakes were much quicker than they appeared, and in an instant Inuyasha was smashed to the ground by a well placed strike of the python's tail.

He landed heavily on his feet, cracking and the ground and thrusting himself backwards. These were pretty formidable demons. He wondered how many humans Naraku had fed them to persuade them to kill him. It was probably a very hefty price, and that sickened him to his core. He then remembered finding them in that destroyed village, and it made him wonder.

"So, were you the bastards that killed off that entire village?" He growled, sword at the ready.

"Yesssss. Those humans were very good, but I must ssssay I've had better. Naraku will have to pick a better village next time he decidesss to feed one to his bessssst assassinssss. He'll have to pay more if he wantssss us to ssstay under his command." The python swayed back and forth, her tongue flickering in and out of her jaws.

They may have been snake demons, but they still had a full set of flesh ripping teeth, with severely pronounced canines like all snakes had. Their jaws hung slack, and because of this Inuyasha could see the blood tainted saliva that stained their teeth a dull pink. It made him shudder inwardly, realizing that they didn't just swallow their food whole like most snakes.

"Well, Naraku is going to be pretty pissed off when I send your heads back to him in a well wrapped package! So prepare to die!" Once again he attacked head on, this time going for the python.

"You'll have to do better than that, pitiful half-breed!" The cobra finally spoke, his voice forced and gravelly.

With one quick movement he brought his clawed hand down upon Inuyasha, but the hanyou dodged and turned back, slashing the cobra's wrist in hopes of cutting it off. But he was shocked when the blade hissed metallically against thick scales, sending down a shower of sparks. _'Damn it...their scales are too thick to penetrate with just a normal attack!' _He jumped up into a nearby tree and readied the Tetsaiga.

"Wind Scar!" He jumped from the tree and slashed at them in midair, sending out a powerful stroke of yellow energy.

Again it didn't even phase the demons, and he suddenly realized how much damage they were doing. When they had emerged from their human bodies they destroyed some of the houses around them, and their lashing tails and constant movement was bringing even more destruction to the village. Luckily the villagers were out in the fields at this time of day, so no one was around to get hurt. It was then that he saw Miroku, Sango, and Shippo riding Kirara high in the sky. He saw the distress on Miroku's face, and he knew the monk was feeling quite helpless. Indeed, they were in the middle of the village, so if he used the wind tunnel it would probably do a lot of damage to the whole area.

Sango used her boomerang (A/N: craaap! I have no idea how to spell the name of it, help!) but to no avail. It was swatted away by a single claw, and was wedged into the side of a house. Inuyasha worked his way back to the forest, knowing that if he didn't get there soon the whole village would be destroyed. Kirara had landed and the rest of the gang joined him after Sango retrieved her boomerang. The villagers had begun to return with pitchforks and other farming tools to fend off the snake demons. Kaede appeared out of nowhere, her face creased in determination. She met Inuyasha's gaze, and just as they turned back to fight the demons the huge cobra lifted one of the villagers and chomped off his upper half. Blood went everywhere, and to their horror the cobra tossed the rest of the poor man to the python and she caught it in her jaws, crunching down and then swallowing it.

There was a sudden rumble of thunder, and a huge mass of purple-gray clouds oozed over the sky like oil. Naraku appeared out of the center of the mass, laughing cynically. He spread out his hands and released a miasma, and the villagers screamed in terror as it consumed their neighbors. They fled like sheep, trying in vain to escape the certain doom that awaited them at Naraku's hands.

Something had to be done soon, or all of the village and its inhabitants would be dead, and the world would fall into the clutches of evil. Jewel or not, if Naraku defeated them there would be no hope left for the world.

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Kagome had been falling for what seemed like eternity. After a while the strangeness of this new well pulled her into a dream-like state, and she saw the visions of the Feudal Era, when Inuyasha was fighting the demons, Naraku arriving, killing them all, and she cried from the bottom of her heart when she saw her beloved hanyou grasped in the jaws of the cobra and inflicted with its poison, left to die slowly.

She saw what happened after everyone was dead, she saw the world fall into darkness. Naraku took over everything, he killed all the humans, he enslaved demons, and he eventually found Sesshomaru and a grown up Rin who had become mates. He killed Rin right in front of the dog demon who was unable to do anything, she saw him try to reach her and bring her back, and she saw Naraku kill him from behind just as he reached his love.

Kagome saw the many failed rebellions and demons killed in the peak of defiance, she saw the plants and tender animals die, the land became waste and the water ran poison. Everything mutated into a horrid nightmare, and she finally saw the end of all things. Lucifer came up out of hell and took Naraku as his son, ruling the world on a thousand years of darkness. Everything was destroyed in hellfire after that, and she realized that her time would never be if Naraku won the fight against her friends.

She pulled out of the dream and took in a deep breath as the glossy black walls around her began to glow dark blue. They got brighter and brighter, and soon she had to close her eyes against the blinding white light. When she opened her eyes again she found herself in the bottom of another well. The Bone Eaters Well. Realization dawned on her. She was back; she was going to see Inuyasha and the others again. She was home.

A loud crash echoed down the well and she was brought back to her senses. She knew there was no time to rejoice now. Inuyasha and the village and all her friends were in trouble, and she had to hurry if there was going to be any hope of saving them. She pulled herself over the edge of the well and raced through the forest, praying that she wouldn't be too late. Gasping for breath she skid to a halt at the peak of a hill overlooking Kaede's village.

She saw the demons below and Naraku spreading his miasma. Realizing that in her journey through the strange well she had regained her bow and arrows, she knocked an arrow and aimed at the python demon. Her pink miko energy flared around the tip as she released it, and it buried itself under the edge of a scale at the base of the python's neck.

"Kaaaaaaasssssss!!" The huge snake went down in a fire of pink energy, writhing in pain.

Inuyasha snapped his attention away from the great cobra that he was locked in battle with and focused on the hill. Standing there was Kagome, bow at her side and the wind pulling at her long tresses. She had finally returned, and his body filled with renewed vigor. His Kagome was home.

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YES!!! I have finally updated!! Aren't you all excited?!?! I am extremely pleased with this chapter, and it's all thanks to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack I'm listening to. It is very inspiring, and for some reason it makes me write faster. Well anywho, sorry for leaving you off at such an intense moment, but I had to do it! It is the perfect way to draw you back in…..and the plot bunnies made me. Well? Comments, questions, advice? I shall take them all with gladness! And once I have this posted I will start with the next chappie so I don't get sidetracked. Yay for me! (...gah, darned thing won't save the indents, sorry about that)

Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this chappie, and the more reviews I get the sooner the next chapter will be posted! I just realized that this will all be over in the next couple of chapters or so…….kinda makes me sad……but then again, severely happy that I will finally be DONE!!!! Doesn't that excite you?!! Oh yeah, and I just realized that I had anonymous reviews blocked, so if you have been reading this as an anonymous person and you couldn't review before, now you can. And if you read all of this (points to entire author note thing) then put 'cool beans' somewhere in your review! Well, until next chappie, valete!

Mistoffelees Shadow


	11. Dreams of a Wounded Hanyou

Dreams of a Wounded Hanyou

Inuyasha took in the sight of his long lost girl. He never thought he'd see her again, not in a million years. Maybe if he survived for the next five hundred, but in this raging battle with Naraku he never thought he'd get beyond this day because his will to fight was gone. His reason had been on the other end of the time stream, living life in a whole different era. But here she was, in all her splendid glory, saving him from his nothing life and returning his fighting spirit.

He dashed away from the striking cobra and stopped at her side, pulling her into a strong embrace. She hugged him back, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Kagome took in the scent of his haori, never wanting to let go of her hanyou. But she knew there was a severe matter at hand, and the two broke apart and faced the enemy. There was a fire in their eyes, and Inuyasha stood proudly with his fingers entwined with hers. The remaining snake hissed viciously, set upon avenging his fallen comrade.

Inuyasha smirked and drew the Tetsaiga once more, calling on the backlash wave. The Tetsaiga flared red with power that flowed from its restored master. Inuyasha let loose on the beast before him, the power overwhelming. It was stronger than any attack he had ever launched, aside from the one when he was protecting Kagome from his brother and cut of his arm.

The demonic cobra was killed in a blinding fury, never to devour another human again. The rest of the gang finally made it up to where Kagome and Inuyasha were, exchanging tight hugs with the miko who had been missed dearly. Shippo perched on her shoulder, and they all faced Naraku in what they knew was the last stand. This battle was the finale, do or die. The fate of the world was in their hands, and they had no intention of failing.

Suddenly swarms of poisonous bugs surrounded Naraku, and more demons were on their way. Inuyasha smirked confidently and squeezed Kagome's hand. She smiled up at him, eyes glistening with tears of boundless joy. They were together again, and that's what would win this battle. Kagome pulled out the almost completed jewel and grasped it in her hand. Inuyasha then turned her towards him and covered her hand with his, utterly happy to be back at her side and protecting her once more.

The incomplete Shikon no Tama glowed fiercely and Kagome watched in shock as Inuyasha changed into a pure-blooded demon. The only difference was that he still had control, and his eyes weren't full of hate like before. With a full blown howl he changed into the grand dog demon form that only Sesshomaru was able to attain before. He was noticeably larger than his sibling, enhanced by the power of the jewel.

He looked down at Kagome, and his eyes seemed to say to not be afraid. She nodded, and he turned his massive head back to Naraku, who was quite shocked by the events that had just occurred before him. Inuyasha snarled viciously and leapt off the hill, energy surging through his claws. He slashed at Naraku, and in the process of landing he destroyed most of what was left of Kaede's village. The miasma that was slowly destroying the buildings had no affect on him, and Naraku barely avoided the deadly strike of Inuyasha's oversized paw.

Kagome looked back down at her hand, only to find the jewel was no longer there. She then took notice of Inuyasha's forehead, and realized the jewel was fused with him. The rest of her friends stood in shock, not quite knowing what to do. Inuyasha had just gone full demon and was attempting to rip Naraku to shreds, and there were a countless number of demons surging in on the village from the surrounding forest. Oh, well that could occupy their attention.

In an instant Miroku (who had Shippo on his shoulder) and Sango had jumped up on Kirara and were off to stop the siege of oncoming demons controlled by Naraku. Kagome watched them go and decided she should probably take the other half of the demons that were coming in from the opposite direction. She fired off an energy powered arrow and watched with a stunned expression as it ripped through a huge chunk of the demon horde. Looking down at the bow she took notice of the wooden handle. There, imbedded in the wood was a third of the Shikon jewel. Her arrows were stronger by ten fold, but she didn't even have half of the jewel.

And Inuyasha had become that huge dog demon by the blood of his father, and he probably only had a third of the jewel as well. _'No wonder so many demons are after this thing! Its power is amazing, even when it's broken apart!' _She shook herself back to reality when she noticed the remainder of the horde advancing, and knocked another arrow. She took out another section of the diminishing army and glanced over at Sango and Miroku, who were dealing with their half of the beasts with next to no trouble at all.

She figured that Naraku only had brainless boneheaded demons at his command because they were too stupid to think for themselves. And besides, all the really powerful demons she had encountered were too proud to be controlled by anyone or they were smart enough to realize that siding with the grease ball would end very, very badly. A crude dagger embedded itself in the tree to her right, and she scowled at the ogre-like buffoon that had thrown it. Knocking another arrow she took a steady aim at his head and released, not at all disappointed when all that power only took out two demons. _'Serves that jerk right! Trying to kill me just when I get my boy back, I don't think so!! Eh….that reminds me….'_

Kagome directed her attention toward Inuyasha, who had smashed away Naraku's barrier and was preparing to strike the foul demon down. Disaster struck. Naraku gathered his energy quickly and blasted a well-aimed tentacle through the massive dogs' chest. Inuyasha yelped and staggered, blood pouring from the wound.

"INUYASHA!!!" Kagome screamed, tears welling in her eyes.

She would not; she could not let it end this way. Knocking her last arrow she let her emotion pour into the tip, and with a _twang _of the bowstring she let it fly. The arrow flew with precision, glowing so brightly that one couldn't look at it straight without needing to close their eyes. It stuck fast in Naraku's chest, burning with all the energy of the Shikon jewel. He went down in purifying flames, screaming in agony. In a matter of seconds it was all over, and the remaining demons disappeared into the woods.

"Inuyasha! Oh god, Inuyasha!" Kagome ran full tilt down to her fallen love, tears rolling down her cheeks.

The colossal dog demon glowed vibrantly and changed back into the golden-eyed boy, blood still flowing freely from his chest. Kagome pressed her hands down on the wound, trying to staunch the bleeding. Her fingertips glowed pink with miko energy, and the heavy flow of blood slowed, and finally stopped. Inuyasha was barely breathing, and Kagome collapsed over his body.

"Please, please Inuyasha, don't die on me!" She sobbed, and a gentle hand rested on her shoulder.

"There there child, don't ye be worrying over the boy. He'll survive; he's too stubborn to give up now." Kaede smiled kindly down at her, but she could see the worry in her old eye.

Miroku, Sango, and Shippo joined the two, worried lines creasing their faces.

"Is he gonna be okay Kagome?" Shippo jumped off of Miroku's shoulder and landed beside the girl, prodding Inuyasha in the arm with a small hand.

Kagome wasn't listening. She was staring down at her hanyou, eyes blurry with tears. He was so close to death, and he wasn't even awake so she could tell him she _did _love him. She had to tell him why she had left without saying goodbye; she had to make him promise to live so she wouldn't have to be alone again. Hot tears dripped onto his blood soaked haori, and Kagome let out a sob of despair. He had to wake up again, he just had to. Kaede shooed Shippo and the others away, kneeling down beside the critically injured hanyou.

"Go see to the rest of the villagers. Some of them may need medical help, now go!" Kaede was stern, and she proceeded to look over the unconscious Inuyasha.

She pulled some herbs out of her sleeves and shredded them, preparing to dress the hanyou's wound.

"Kagome, go see if you can find any cloth or bandages in my hut." Her voice was gentle once more, trying to ease the miko who was falling to pieces.

Kagome nodded silently and ran to where Kaede's hut used to be. She rummaged around in the heap of broken wood, earning a few splinters before she found what she was looking for. She raced back to Inuyasha, torn blanket in hand. Kaede ripped it the rest of the way and handed half of it back to Kagome to hold while she ripped the cloth into strips. Silent tears were still streaming down the girls cheeks, and Kaede turned to hand her the upper half of the fire rat robe and the white shirt Inuyasha wore underneath it.

"Kagome, you have to calm yourself. If Inuyasha were to wake up now and he saw ye were crying, he wouldn't be very happy, and that wouldn't do any good for the condition he's in now." Kaede was stern but gentle, her eye shining sympathetically.

Kagome nodded and sniffled, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. She had to be strong for Inuyasha, no matter what. Kaede was almost done dressing the wound when golden eyes opened upon the world once more, and Kagome was at his side in an instant.

"Ka…gome…" He wheezed out, his eyes dull and unfocused.

"I'm right here Inuyasha." She squeezed his hand and mustered a smile through the oncoming tears

"Don't…..cry. I hate it…..when you cry." He coughed up blood and Kagome wiped it away from his mouth, her brow creasing with worry.

"Shhh….save your strength, you need to rest." Inuyasha barely managed a nod.

"Ka…Kagome…" He coughed up blood again and slipped back into unconsciousness.

"Inuyasha!"

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_Inuyasha walked through Kaede's village, devoid of all life. Well, almost devoid. He saw someone standing in front of Kaede's hut, and when he got close enough to see who, he realized it was Kagome. _

"_Kagome!" He dashed forwards, but she turned and ran into the woods, laughing all the way._

"_Oh come on Kagome, wait up!" He growled and followed, expecting to catch up any second, but he never did. She always seemed to be just a turn ahead._

"_Damn it wench, where are you?" He yelled, and in reply he heard a scream echo from the direction of the Bone Eaters Well._

"_Kagome!" Inuyasha hurried to get there, and when he arrived his eyes widened in horror._

_Kagome was wrapped up in one of Naraku's tentacles, the very life being crushed out of her._

"_Bastard, put her down!" He growled viciously, drawing the Tetsaiga._

"_Huh, why don't you make me, you pitiful mutt!" Naraku laughed and tightened his grip on Kagome, and she called out in despair to Inuyasha._

"_Inuyasha, help me!" She struggled against the vice grip around her torso, but it was no use. _

_Inuyasha launched himself at Naraku, preparing to strike the slimy son of bitch. With one quick movement Naraku swatted him out of the way, throwing him against a tree. _

"_Yes Inuyasha, save your poor miko! Well, try as you will, you aren't nearly strong enough to kill me! You couldn't even beat your stuck up brother, what make you think you take me on?" Naraku taunted, his eyes glinting evilly._

"_Shut up you bastard!" He attacked again, but Naraku sent him flying once more._

"_Inuyasha!" Kagome gasped out with her last breath of air. "H-help me…" She fell limp in the clutches of Naraku, and Inuyasha ran to catch her when he let her slide from his tentacle._

"_Kagome, no…no, no, no…." He picked up the pale girl and shook her gently. "Kagome, no…" A single tear rolled down his cheek as he clutched the dead girl against him, his heart ripped to pieces. "Kagome…."_

_Naraku laughed cynically and darkness surrounded them until everything disappeared, but the laughter was still there. Kagome faded from his arms and he tried frantically to grab her back, but she disappeared._

_Inuyasha sat in the darkness, surrounded by the evil laughter._

"_Everything you love is always taken from you! Why do you even keep trying, you pathetic excuse for a demon! No one loves you, no one cares if you live or die!"_

"_Shut up, Kagome still cares!" Inuyasha covered his ears, trying to block out the oily smooth voice._

"_But she's dead now Inuyasha, and there's no one left to care. Why don't you just die?"_

"_SHUT UP!!" He roared into the darkness, and everything fell silent. _

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_Inuyasha woke up in a dazzling green pasture, and standing only feet away from his was a cow. A big, black cow with a white face and black rings around its eyes. _'Skull Face...wait, why does it have a name?'_ Inuyasha puzzled over the named cow until a spindly legged calf dashed to the cows side. His legs were white and his body brown except for the muzzle, which was brown. _'Patches? What the hell!? Why do these cows have names? And why the hell do I know them?!' _Inuyasha stood up from the comfy grass and looked around, spotting more cows and naming them off one by one._

'Sunshine...Moon Spot (this cow was all black except for a white circle on her forehead)...Charlie...Brownie...Blue Eyes (cow had blue eyes...duh!)...WTF?! George?! That's one god damn huge cow!' _Inuyasha stared at the massive black cow with a large bump on his forehead. George turned his heavy weight head in the direction of Inuyasha and mooed, quite loudly. It was then that he spotted a figure walking up over the hillside._

_"Inuyasha! Come on in, it's time to eat!" Kagome's voice drifted on the wind to his ears, and at the sound they twitched pleasurably. _

_So...she wasn't dead! Naraku hadn't killed her after all! The hanyou dashed towards the small figure and jumped the fence with ease. Upon arriving at his destination he wrapped Kagome in a strong hug, earning a small laugh._

_"Inuyasha! Can't breathe!" She giggled again, and in an instant he was away from her, checking for any damage. "Jeez, you act like you haven't seen me in years!" She smiled brightly, and he took it all in with sharp golden eyes. "C'mon, the kids are getting hungry and they need to eat! They are growing boys you know!" She turned on her heel and began to walk away, humming to herself. Inuyasha quirked a brow so high it almost got lost in his hairline._

_Kids? Boy kids?!_

_Inuyasha quickly caught up with her and sighed, hands folded behind his head. He analyzed and noticed that Kagome was wearing a long dress and a flour covered apron, her hair done up in a messy bun and a spot of white on her cheek. Messy girl. Inuyasha promptly leaned down and licked it away, receiving a laugh._

_"Hey, what was that?" Kagome turned to look at him, her brown eyes dancing._

_"You had flour on your cheek, and I got rid of it." Inuyasha said smugly, a small smirk of victory pasted on his face. All hail Inuyasha, mighty conqueror of the flour!_

_Kagome snorted softly in amusement and her smile widened when the house came into view. The first thought that crossed Inuyasha's mind was that their boys were standing by the door waving madly and laughing. _'Hold everything...our boys? These are our _kids!?_ We had together?!' _Inuyasha looked from the boys to Kagome, and then back to the boys._

_The taller of the two looked to be about nine or ten, with black hair and doggy ears, and a pair of rich golden brown eyes. The shorter boy, who was probably five or six, had a mess of snow white hair and doggy ears, his eyes a deep shade of brown, almost black. The names popped into his head next, and from oldest to youngest he remembered them. _'Souta...and Sesshomaru...shit, we named one of our kids after that bastard? What the hell was I thinking?!'_ The younger boy, Sesshomaru, raced out to greet them, tumbling over himself at his fathers' feet. This did not hinder him however, for in the next second he had leapt to his feet and was glued to Inuyasha's waist._

_"Daddy! Show us the Wind Scar again, pwease?!" His big brown eyes stared lovingly up at his father, and Inuyasha could not refuse them. They were after all, the eyes of his son._

_Inuyasha's ears twitched in the direction of the house when he heard a faint cry. The cry of a baby. Sesshomaru noticed it too, and his head snapped back to the house. Kagome looked from one to the other, slightly confused._

_"What is it?" Souta came bounding up to them, his eyes bright with the sun._

_"Koari is crying again mama." He informed, his eyes wide and his face dead serious, which made Kagome laugh._

_"Alright you three, let's go eat. Daddy can show you the Wind Scar after lunch, right Inuyasha?" She turned her head towards him, but he wasn't paying any attention._

'Koari...?' _The image of a young baby, no more than a year old popped into his head. She had a mess of black hair and piercing gold eyes, a big Higurashi smile plastered on her face. She was definitely going to be like her mother, that he could tell. _

_"Inuyasha? Inuyasha, is anyone home?" Kagome waved her hand in front of his face and he blinked, nodding._

_"Yeah...after we eat..." Kagome shook her head and laughed, walking down to the house._

_The baby wasn't crying normally, and he could see the worry in the boys' faces as well. They knew something was wrong, but they didn't know what. Inuyasha had heard this kind of crying before. He remembered the time when his fathers' evil sword had possessed him and he had almost killed a mother and her baby. The baby had been half crying half screaming in panic. That's the sound he heard coming from the house. Dashing past a startled Kagome he threw the door open and ran inside, his ears flicking this way and that. _

_"Ah, we meet again, Inuyasha." Upon entering the baby's room he came face to face with none other than Naraku._

_"No...no, you're dead!" He growled, hand on the hilt of the Tetsaiga._

_Naraku was holding Koari by the back of her footsie pajamas, and she was still crying desperately. Naraku laughed and pulled out his own sword and held the point up to Koari's neck._

_"That's where you're wrong, Inuyasha. I'll be around as long as there's something that you hold precious to you still drawing breath!" In one swift movement he had silenced the baby and thrown her back in the cradle scornfully. _

_Inuyasha stared in disbelief at the blood dripping from the tip of Naraku's sword and the bloody cradle. It was then that he heard the terrified and utterly pained wail call out from behind him in the doorway. Kagome stood there, her eyes wide and crying, her hands clasped tightly over her mouth. She had seen the murder of her own baby girl. Dropping to the floor she let out another pained shriek and shook her head violently, trying to dispel whatever nightmare was plaguing her._

_Inuyasha turned back to Naraku with hate filled eyes. _

_"You'll pay for that you bastard!! How dare you hurt my family!" He drew the Tetsaiga and launched himself at Naraku, snarling. _

_Souta and Sesshomaru had come then, and upon taking in the scene Sesshomaru broke down and cried beside his mother and Souta just stared blankly at the bloody cradle. His sister was dead. His _only_ baby sister was _dead._ Dead. He growled in a rage and his eyes went red, glaring hotly at Naraku. That ass had killed his sister. Kagome's head snapped to attention when she heard the feral growl from her son and she stared in shock at the snarling demon before her._

_"Souta no!" She tried to grasp his clothing, anything to stop him, but it was too late._

_He attacked Naraku with hate in his eyes, and with a well aimed tentacle Naraku ran him through. Souta coughed up massive amounts of blood, and his eyes went wide with shock, fading back to their normal golden brown. Another fit of coughing wracked his small body as Naraku released him, blood gushing from the hole in his stomach. Kagome rushed to his side, tears pouring down her cheeks._

_"I'm...sorry...mother." He gasped out, and then fell limp in Kagome's arms._

_"No...SOUTA!!!" She screamed and hugged his bloody form, and Inuyasha turned back in horror to see his oldest son dead in the arms of his wife._

_"Souta!!" Sesshomaru bawled and ran forward, shaking his brothers' arm. "Souta, Souta! Wake up! Please, Souta!" He called out, fat tears cascading down his already damp cheeks._

_"You see Inuyasha, it's hopeless. Letting anyone get close to you is the biggest mistake of your life, and you keep making it over and over again!" Naraku laughed and parried the blows of the Tetsaiga with ease._

_"Damn you Naraku!" Inuyasha struck harder, fueled by his overflowing emotions._

_Dozens of poisonous bugs flew into the room, zooming around the heads of Kagome and her son. Sesshomaru screamed in horror and buried his face in his mothers apron, still covered in flour. Inuyasha glanced back at them, his face alarmed. He couldn't fend off Naraku and take care of those bugs too while trying to protect his family!_

_"Kill them." Naraku darted around Inuyasha, blocking him from the only route to his family._

_"No! Kagome, Sesshomaru!! RUN!" He furiously hacked at Naraku, trying to get through to the duo in peril, but in vain._

_Kagome shielded Sesshomaru from the bugs as they stung her with poisonous barbs, and her skin paled with the amount of poison injected into her body. Silent tears fought to get out as Inuyasha kept struggling to get past the villain in his way. Kagome's body went limp and she fell to the side, exposing their only surviving child. His demise was even quicker than Kagome's because his body was smaller and not nearly as immune to poison as his mother. All hope was lost for Inuyasha, and he gave up trying to fight past his enemy._

_He fell to his knees and dropped the Tetsaiga, staring wretchedly at his hands. He had become so strong, but he couldn't even save his family. They were all dead, because he was still too weak to help anyone. Naraku threw back his head and laughed at the hanyou's plight._

_"You still can't do a damn thing, can you? You can't even save your own family!" He laughed louder, and Inuyasha buried his face in his hands, trying to block out the world._

_Naraku was right. That son of a bitch was right, and he hated it. Naraku turned and left, not bothering to finish off the broken man. After all, suffering for the rest of his life was a much better torture than being killed in the cruel opinion of Naraku. And once again, Inuyasha knew he was right. Sometimes truth was the worst things in the world to bear, and that's always how people like him dealt the heaviest blows to a hero. It wasn't the physical wounds, or the wicked lies that they spread; it was the bare, raw truth that always seemed to cut the deepest._

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Inuyasha woke up in a cold sweat, his heart beating a mile a minute. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in his chest forced him to stay down. He glanced around the unfamiliar room, and noticed Kagome was sleeping in a chair beside the bed in which he was laying. He let a sigh of relief wash over him, and wondered about the wound to his chest. How did he get it? Was this another dream?

Wait, it was coming back...Kagome left, he was so alone...that mother and her child came to the village...they lied about everything and turned into demon snakes and attacked him...Kagome came back...they defeated the snake demons...Naraku attacked and he became a huge dog demon in an attempt to kill the bastard...Naraku took a cheap shot and stabbed him in the chest with one of those damned tentacles...wait, was Naraku dead? Did they finally win!?

Inuyasha gripped the bandages around his chest and winced when the slight pressure caused his wound to ache horribly. He snapped to attention when Kagome stirred in her sleep, and her eyelids lifted drowsily. She blinked away the sleep and yawned, stretching her hands up to the ceiling and arching her back. Opening her eyes she looked over at Inuyasha and smiled hugely.

"Inuyasha! You're finally awake, thank god!" She reached over and gave him a gentle hug, knowing if she tightened her grip he might be in pain from his tender wound.

"Kagome…." Inuyasha whispered into her hair, taking in the scent of her very essence.

He had waited for so long to just be near her again, and he wasn't about to let some idiot like Naraku take the chance to hug her again away from him. He laid his hand gently on the back of her head and smiled softly, wishing silently that this moment would never end, but he knew it had to. After their sweet moment came to an end Kagome sat back up, but she took hold of his hand with a gentle smile curving her lips.

"Inuyasha….I missed you. And I was so afraid….afraid that I'd never get to talk to you again after that fight with Naraku." She choked back tears as she spoke, her eyes misty.

"Hey Kagome, you wanna know something?" He turned his head and looked out the small window by his bed.

"What?"

"I missed you a lot too." His gaze turned back to the miko, and her eyes widened.

"Inu…Inuyasha…" She smiled with complete innocence and joy that it made the wounded hanyou's heart swell with happiness, even though he would never admit to it.

"Kagome, what happened to Naraku?" He frowned slightly, hoping that the dork hadn't escaped at the last minute like he always seemed to do when they fought.

"He's dead, Inuyasha. You wounded him pretty badly in your fight, and I shot him with an arrow when he….when hurt you. God, I was so afraid you were going to die!" She bit her lip and bowed her head so her bangs covered her eyes. She didn't want to let him see her cry all over again.

"Kagome…" He reached up and wiped a tear away with the pad of his thumb, a small smile gracing his lips. "I'm okay, I promise you I won't die, not as long as I have such important people around me to protect." Kagome looked up at him again and nodded, sniffling slightly.

"Kaede said the reason why your wound is taking so long to heal is because some of Naraku's poison got in you, and it's slowing down your youkai healing process. You've been out cold for three days, Inuyasha." His eyebrows raised considerably, and he gave her a disbelieving look.

"What? Three days?!" He sighed and combed his finger through his hair. "Kagome….maybe…maybe when I'm feeling better, and I'm not so….bothered as I am now, maybe I'll tell you about the dreams I had." He locked gazes with her, and she could see in his eyes how really shaken up he was about them, and it made her worry.

Inuyasha knew he'd tell her soon, because dealing with them alone and not telling her, he couldn't stand it. She was after all, the reason why he was so disturbed y his dreams. She had died….in both of them, and she was the one he held most dear. There was no way he'd be able to keep such troublesome things bottled up for so long around her anyways. He knew it, but he denied it with every fiber of his being that she could read him like an open book. And when she really pressed him for information….well, there was not a snowballs chance in hell he could refuse.

"Hey, Inuyasha?" Kagome brought him back from his daydreams.

"Yeah?"

"Don't you want to know why I left? I mean, I didn't even get to say goodbye…..I thought that when I came back you'd refuse to speak to me ever again for leaving like that." She fiddled with her hands, a nervous expression playing across her face.

It had never really occurred to Inuyasha to ask before now, and ever since he had that dream before he never really thought about it. He found out that she had left against her will, and that alone satisfied him enough until he could see her again.

"Yeah, why did you go? I wondered if you weren't ever coming back, you know. I thought you just gave up on us here, and gave up on me, like Kikyo did." He frowned slightly, but their eyes remained glued together.

"How could you say that!? I would never give up on you guys! You're all like….like a second family to me." Her tone softened, and Inuyasha knew she spoke the truth.

"Well, get on with it!" He grunted, and she rolled her eyes in exasperation. Men, jeez.

"You see, we were moving so suddenly because my mum got laid off from her job, so we had to move so she could get to her new job more conveniently. And when I tried to come back and say goodbye to you guys the well wouldn't let me through, and I figure it's because I was so upset about leaving and not being able to see you again. I just didn't want to have to say goodbye, that's all, and the well wouldn't let come through for that reason. So we moved to this old farmhouse…." (A/N: you guys know the story, so I'm not going to use up ten more pages repeating myself!)

Kagome kept going on about such things, but Inuyasha really only paid half attention to the useless stuff and probably only two thirds of his attention was focused on the important parts. You see, he was just so zoned in on listening to the sound of her voice and her movements that he wasn't really listening to what she was saying, ya know? It took her almost twenty minutes until she got to the part where she met Senshozsu, and in an instant Inuyasha was tuned in and listening _very_ intently. She even let it slip that she thought he was pretty decent looking, and this made Inuyasha scowl tremendously.

"He was pretty _decent!?_ This guy was decent?!!? Kagome!!" Inuyasha interrupted furiously, the rage utterly apparent in his voice.

"What?? I just said he was decent, I never said anything about him being totally gorgeous or anything!!" Oops. That was the completely wrong thing to say in front of Inuyasha, and she knew it. She knew it all too well.

"KAGOME!!!" If it weren't for the fact that he was laid up in bed due to injuries he would be pacing and huffing and throwing a complete temper tantrum.

Kagome winced at his shout and smiled guiltily. "Ya know, I think it'd be better if I came back at a more…..suitable time. You do need your rest, Inuyasha!" with that Kagome waved quickly and dashed out of the hut, followed by angry bellows from one pissed off hanyou.

"KAGOME, GET BACK HERE!! I WANT TO KNOW WHERE THIS GUY LIVES!!! I HAVE TO GO RIP HIS INTERNAL ORANS OUT!! KAGOME!!!"

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And the finale will be coming next chapter!! WOOHOO!!!! I hope you enjoyed this chappie!! I had lots of fun writing it, but holy crap was it hard to write Inuyasha's dreams!! Goshers, I do hate sad crap like that….oh, and just to let you know, George the cow and Skull Face were both based off of real life cows. George was this amazingly huge black cow with a big bump on his head that was really soft hearted and loved to eat green apples. These cows belong(ed) to our neighbor, and poor George was raised as a beef cow. He was a really sweet cow….

And Skull Face, well she's still living, and she's my favorite cow of theirs. I like to feed them grass out of my hand. Hee hee, Skull Face is a real sweetie, and she's always the first looking for grass handouts. Oivay. I'm rambling about cows. Scary. Anywho!! If you have any comments, questions, or advice please just type 'em up in a review and send 'em on in! I think this was one of my favorite chapters, besides the one with the attic thingy. And if you were wondering about that, well let's just say I'll get to it next chappie or in the epilogue. Yes, I will be writing an epilogue if I'm not utterly satisfied with the ending. I don't know, next chapter might even be the epilogue….So please review and tell me what you think!! And thanks to all you readers out there who've stuck with me from the very beginning!! I'm so sorry I made you wait so long!!!

Ah, and one more thing. If anyone has any story ideas that they would like me to work on, just say so! I promise I won't delay it like this fic, because this was my own idea and I felt like being a procrastinator. But of course, if it's someone else's idea, then I'll be forced to update regularly to please the idea supplier. Anywho, if you actually took the time to read this massively hugely big author note, then put 'Jack Sparrow' in your review please! Thanks a bunches, and I promise to update ASAP!!! Yay Pirates of the Caribbean!! I'm listening to the theme right now….Oooooh, it's so inspiring!!! Well, valete!

Mistoffelees Shadow


	12. A Night Under the Stars

A Night under the Stars

_Two weeks later_

Inuyasha sat high in the Goshinboku tree, eyes concentrated on the clouds. So much had happened since Kagome's return. They defeated Naraku, he had learned why Kagome had left and how she got back, he learned about what would've happened if she had never came, he had told her about his dreams and was satisfied by the fact that she hugged him and told him off for believing in them, and most importantly he was going to visit Kagome's new home in a few days. She didn't know if they were going to come out in the cave of if they would come out at the opposite end of the Bone Eaters Well, so they would just have to risk it, he figured.

"Inuyasha! Come down here!" Kagome's voice drifted up to him from below, and he looked down at her with a smile on his face.

They had spent almost every waking moment together since Inuyasha had woken up after the fight with Naraku, and they had grown even closer, if that was possible. They did say that time apart made the heart grow fonder. Well, something like that. Inuyasha dropped from the tree and landed stealthily beside Kagome, his eyes focused on her bright smile and her beautiful brown eyes. Ever since she had come back he cherished those little things about her even more than he did before, and that sure meant a lot.

Inuyasha picked Kagome up by her waist and spun her around while she laughed carefree. Oh, did I mention that they had finally admitted their feelings? Yeah, they did. You're probably thinking it's impossible for a pair like them, but I say nay. Inuyasha had fallen into a fever from the poison a few days after he woke up, and Kagome had admitted it to him before he passed out. She really thought he was going to die just then.

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_Flashback_

_Kagome wiped the sweat away from his brow for the fifth time that day. Inuyasha coughed hollowly and wheezed, his breath dry and hot. Kaede walked in just then, carrying a pitcher of cool water from the nearby stream. Kagome held up the cup for water, her gaze never leaving Inuyasha._

_It was no normal fever he was in; demons didn't get human illnesses. This was much worse, and if it hadn't been for his youkai blood in the first place he would have died soon after receiving the wound from Naraku. His skin had turned a sickly white, his hands trembled and they were always cold. He slept fitfully most of the time, and it was the second day he had been in fever._

_Kagome tipped his head up slightly so she could give him water, and he drank slowly in his half-asleep stupor. She had never seen him this weak and vulnerable, even when he was human. It scared her out of her wits. She held his hands tightly in her own, trying her best to keep them warm. His skin was dry and flaky, like it was dying. In turn Kagome was constantly rubbing lotion on his hands to keep her from thinking the worst of his condition._

_Miroku, Sango, and Shippo all had wanted to come in and visit with him, but Kaede forbid it. She and Kagome were the only ones permitted in the hut because they never went any where else, so they were fairly clean and free of harmful germs. If the others were constantly going from place to place and touching things that other humans had touched, they might have been harboring disease that their healthy bodies had fought off, but Inuyasha could easily fall victim to. _

_Even if he was a demon, in his condition any ailment, even the weakest of colds could prove to be a hazard to his survival. His body was already overwhelmed by trying to fight off the poison, and it couldn't handle anything else. Kaede had never said anything to Kagome, but she feared the hanyou was fighting a loosing battle. _

"_Please Inuyasha…wake up!" Kagome whispered desperately over his bedside, her eyes tightly shut and her hands clasping his._

_Kaede left the hut, her face creased with worry. She knew Kagome wouldn't know how to handle it if Inuyasha did die, and she prayed to Kami that he didn't. She wouldn't be able to bear the heartache that the young miko would go through, loosing the one she loved most here in the Feudal Era._

"_Ka..go…Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered hoarsely, his eyes working so hard to open._

_His lids rose halfway, and Kagome could see his dull, lifeless eyes. They were lost in a fever induced haze, and she was frightened by the near death look._

"_I'm right here Inuyasha, you're going to be okay. You're going to get better!" She gripped his hands tighter, and he moved them slightly so his fingers curled loosely around her own._

"_No…I don't….I don't think….that I'll get through this. /wheeze/ I can feel it….Kagome. I can feel the…poison, I know…I know I'm dying. My body…..my body is giving up." He coughed with the effort of talking, and to the horror of Kagome his saliva was flecked with blood. _

_He was dying._

"_Inuyasha! You have to get better, please! Inuyasha, you can't die on me now, I need you!" She didn't care that she had just admitted to caring about him, she really didn't care._

_Inuyasha was very important to her, even if she never spoke a word about it. If he were to die and leave her here….she wouldn't know what to do with herself anymore. It would tear her heart to pieces, and she would never be able to go on without him. She would do anything it took to keep him with her, and if that meant exposing her heart to him then she would certainly do it._

"_Kagome…" The corners of his pale lips turned up ever so slightly and his cool fingers pressed weakly against the back of her hand. "Don't….worry. I'll still protect you….even after I die. Don't ever….don't ever forget….that I love you Kagome….okay?" His voice was airy and cracked, barely audible._

_Tears burned fiercely in Kagome's eyes as she nodded her head, unable to speak. Her throat was tight and she knew if she tried to say anything she would start to cry, and she knew how much Inuyasha hated to see her cry. She managed a small smile for him, but she was breaking up inside. He was going to die, and there was nothing she could do about it._

"_Inuyasha!" She hugged him close, hoping to keep him there with her just a little longer._

_He sighed softly and his eyes closed, but he was still alive. He had passed out again due to the intense fever, and Kagome began to weep bitterly on his chest. She was so useless, she couldn't even do anything to save him, when he had saved her all those countless times, and she just sat there and could do nothing. _

_The day passed slowly, and Inuyasha was hanging on by the skin of his teeth. At any moment he could draw his last breath, and with each one he took Kagome feared that his chest wouldn't rise again once he had let the air escape his lungs. He was still alive when the sun began to set, and Kaede was out getting more water when a tall, fluffy figure stopped her in her tracks._

"_Where is he?" He inquired emotionlessly, his gold eyes cold to any feeling. _

"_That hut, over there. But I'll just have to say, if you're here to kill him for taking out Naraku without you're consent, it will be pointless. And as for the Tetsaiga, well if it will permit you'll probably be wielding it very soon, before the night ends." Kaede waved towards the hut that glowed yellow from the window, and her face was also set in a stoic fashion._

_The man simply bowed and disappeared, and he was soon entering the hut that did not sleep._

"_Sesshomaru!" Kagome had turned around to ask why Kaede had returned so quickly, but she came gaze to gaze with the brother of her dying hanyou._

"_This Sesshomaru wishes to speak with him, move." He stepped forward, expecting her to step aside so he could have a word with his brother, but she stood firm._

"_He's dying, Sesshomaru, and he's not even awake. You missed his parting words, and….and I don't think it'll be long now…" Her eyes became misty, and he could see her fighting to contain her tears._

_He could also see how red her eyes were from previous crying, and something deep inside of him felt for the girl. He knew how she was attached to his brother, even if it did sicken him. He knew how broken she was going to be after the half breed died, and it almost made him feel the slightest bit sorry. He almost pitied the girl. She turned back to the dying Inuyasha, and it annoyed him that she was ignoring his almighty presence. _

_He saw her go rigid and fall to the chair with a heavy thud. She quickly grasped the hands of the hanyou, and the tears were no longer held in. He could see his brother now, and his chest rose, higher….higher….and release. But there was no breath drawn back in. Inuyasha, his brother, had just died before his eyes, and not at his hands._

"_Inuyasha!! Oh god, Inuyasha, no!" Kagome sobbed over the dead hanyou, her small form shaking with sobs._

"_Step aside miko." Sesshomaru drew the Tenseiga and lifted it with ease._

_Kagome watched with wide eyes as he stepped forward, and she moved subconsciously. Was he…was he really going to save Inuyasha from death? Was he actually showing compassion for his brother?_

"_This Sesshomaru will not let him die at the hands of a silly illness. Full demon or not, he is my half brother and I will not be disgraced by his sorry death. I will be the one to kill his pathetic hide." Sesshomaru raised the Tenseiga and with one fluid movement he saved the life of his brother._

_Kagome stared in shock as Inuyasha took in air once more, his body back in health once more. He was no longer plagued by the poison fever, but he was still recovering from the wound that Naraku had inflicted. _

"_Sesshomaru, thank you!" Impulsively Kagome hugged the demon lord, beside herself with joy._

"_If you wish to live miko, you will remove your person from me." Kagome stood back, her face set in a serious manner, even though she had to bite her lip to keep from grinning._

_Sesshomaru sheathed the Tenseiga and Kagome bowed to show her thanks. He simply nodded and walked out the door, not looking back to see if his brother was awake. He could come back another day to rid the world of the half breed._

_Once the demon lord had left Kagome peered out the window to see his form on the crest of a nearby hill, along with two other, smaller beings. In a flash they were gone, and her smile only widened. Inuyasha shifted in a deep slumber, and Kagome turned her gaze back to the golden eyed boy. He was alive, and his stoic, uncaring brother had saved him._

_The next morning Kagome had woken up, her tired form resting on the side of Inuyasha's bed. She rubbed her drowsy eyes and watched the hanyou breathe evenly, his face peaceful. She grinned despite her sleepy state. He was already looking like himself again, and his hands weren't cold anymore. Kagome squeezed one gently, and in response Inuyasha shifted slightly and grasped her hand._

_It wasn't until midday that the hanyou woke up, and Kagome was still by his side. She refused to leave lest she miss him waking up for the first time since he died. She giggled slightly at the thought. Saying that sounded so weird. _

"_Kagome…?" Inuyasha drawled tiredly, his eyelids opening painstakingly slow._

_She looked into his golden orbs, and to her delight they no longer looked dead and hopeless. They were hazy from sleeping so long, but he was back and she couldn't be happier._

"_Inuyasha! You're awake! I missed you so much, don't you ever scare me like that again!" She leaned down and hugged him, earning a slight wince._

"_Oi…Kagome, my chest hurts, stop it!" He growled, but you could tell he wasn't really annoyed. In fact, just to have her hugging him made him inwardly happy._

_Kagome remembered what he had said to her just before he passed out, and she pulled away and gaze him an analyzing look._

"_What?" Inuyasha quirked a brow, and he smirked slightly when she smiled brightly back at him, a small blush coloring her cheeks._

"_Last night….when you said, you….you know! Did you really mean that?" She looked down at her hands, unable to hold his gaze._

"_When I said I would still protect you after I died? Yeah, I meant that." He said seriously, but she looked back up him, slightly annoyed._

"_No, not that, what you said afterwards….just before you passed out." Inuyasha puzzled this for a while, and when he realized what she was talking about a tiny blush spread across his face as well._

"_Well, I…uh…" He rubbed the back of his head, a little embarrassed by the question. "You know, Kagome?"_

"_What?" She looked at him then, almost ready to shake the answer out of him._

"_Yeah, I did mean it." They both smiled, and shared their first moment together since they had seen each other last, before Kagome moved away._

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Kagome walked quietly beside the hanyou as they made their way back to the village. They took their own sweet time about it too, fingers laced together as they enjoyed the peaceful wood. Kaede had become frustrated with the slow pace of 'mortal men', so she told Kagome to drag Inuyasha back so he could show them how it was done. When Kagome had told him this he was very smug, not at all disappointed about getting to show off. Upon reaching the village Sango and Miroku greeted them, hand in hand.

Yes, the two had finally gotten the chance to get married, and they were both pleased. But alas, Miroku was still a lecher, and he still couldn't seem to calm his raging hormones. Inuyasha smirked when Sango smacked him upside the head for getting a little to close to her backside. Even if they were married, he didn't have privileges like that in public. Of course, when they were alone that was a different story….but anyways!

Kaede took notice of the couple emerging from the forest and waved them over with a smile.

"Inuyasha, I think it's about time ye helped out. Ye are living here now, so it'd be best if ye got started." Kaede turned back to the other men, "put you're backs into it! I know you can go faster than that! We need this village back up before the snows set in!" She went about giving her orders, waving this way and that.

Kagome leaned over and gave Inuyasha a quick peck on the cheek. "I have to go watch the kids with the other women, see you later!"

"Yeah, yeah, just go already." Inuyasha rubbed his cheek and sent her an eye roll, but she could tell by the tiny flush of pink that he didn't mind at all.

They all worked until sunset, stopping only for lunch and ending the day with dinner. Shippo bounced around with the other kids in the afternoon light, laughing and tumbling all the way. Kagome watched with fond eyes, hoping to have a kid like him someday. Shippo played, Kagome watched Shippo, Inuyasha watched Kagome….and Kaede watched him with a smile on her face. She knew they were good for each other all along, even if they refused to believe it.

"Hey Kagome?" She turned to face the hanyou, a smile on her face.

"Yeah Inuyasha?"

"When did you say we were going back to your time?" He cocked his head like a puppy would, and it made Kagome laugh.

"On Tuesday."

"Uh….when is Tuesday again? And what day is today?" He furrowed his brow, and Kagome continued to laugh. "What's so funny?" He scowled at her.

"It's just, that face you're making! It's so….cute!" She giggled, and Inuyasha turned his head away to hide the blush spreading across his cheeks.

"Feh, whatever!"

"Two days, Inuyasha."

"Huh?"

"Until we go to my time, remember?" Kagome poked him in the chest and he scowled again.

"Yeah, yeah, I know what you meant!"

"Well then why didn't you say so!?" Kagome threw her hands in the air.

"Because I didn't, so be quiet wench!"

"Inuyasha! Didn't I tell you I didn't like that name?!" She huffed, "you're so insensitive!"

"What did you say?!"

"I said that you were being INSENSITIVE!!"

"No I wasn't!!"

"Yes you were!!"

"NO, I wasn't!!!"

"YES, you were!!!"

"Didn't I tell you to be quiet, wench!?"

"I don't take orders from you!!"

"SO! Be quiet!!"

"No!"

"Yes!!"

"No!!!"

"Yes!!!!"

"Gah! Inuyasha SIT!!!" _THUD!_ "Jerk…" And with that, Kagome stalked off, ending the perfect day.

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Inuyasha sat high in the Goshinboku, staring at the starry sky. He was still pretty steamed about the fight he had with Kagome earlier, and he was subconsciously dragging his claws along the bark of the branch, leaving deep cuts in the wood.

"Inuyasha?" A timid voice called from below, and he looked down to see Kagome standing there, a guilty look on her face.

"What do you want?" He snapped, a little harsher than he meant to.

"I just wanted to apologize for getting so cross with you earlier. Today was so long, and after watching a bunch of rowdy kids it wears at one's patience. I'm sorry I yelled at you." She fiddled with her fingers, and Inuyasha's eyes softened.

He jumped down from the tree and landed beside her, a small smile on his face. "Yeah…I guess today was too long for the both of us." He scratched the back of his head and looked at her with golden eyes.

Even if he didn't come out and say it, she knew he was apologizing in his own little way. He grabbed her around the waist and jumped back into the Goshinboku, settling down on a high branch.

"Eeep! Inuyasha, what if I fall?" She was sitting beside him, but she clutched tightly to his arm to steady herself.

"I won't let you fall, don't worry." He leaned against the tree and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against his chest.

She relaxed into his strong embrace and he rested his head on her hair, inhaling deeply. She smelled so good to his sensitive nose, and he was glad she was there with him. The wind swept over the two, and even though Inuyasha didn't take much notice he realized it was chilly out when Kagome shivered and snuggled deeper into his arms.

"Here Kagome." He quickly slipped off the top of his fire rat robe and draped it over her body, and she smiled warmly back at him.

"Thanks Inuyasha." She nestled back against him once more and clutched the edge of the red cloth, utterly content.

The cloth was still warm, and she loved the smell of it. Inuyasha was like no one she had ever smelled before. Not that she smelled people for a hobby or anything, but from the few people she had been close enough to smell, she thought he smelled the best by far. It was a rich, woodsy smell mixed with his own, purely unique scent, and she was happy just to bask in his warmth and let the smell surround and fill her to the very core.

Inuyasha was his own little fantasy, arms wrapped tightly around the small waist of his angel. Yes, he did think of her that way. She was like no one he had ever met, and even when they first encountered she was kind to him. She was so perfect in his eyes, and there wasn't anyone else he would rather be with. In fact, he figured he was going to ask her to be his mate once he got permission from her mother. That's why he was so eager to get to her time, because he wanted to be able to share the rest of his life with the sweet Higurashi.

"Inuyasha?" He was snapped out of his little daydream when Kagome spoke.

"Hm?" She giggled slightly when his voice rumbled deep in his throat, and she could hear it because her head was resting against him.

"When I wake up tomorrow, you'll still be here, right? I won't just be dreaming again like all the other times?" She tilted her head up to meet his soft golden gaze.

"Yeah, I'll still be here." He gave her a quick squeeze, and her smile brightened.

"Thanks Inuyasha." She snuggled back down, and it wasn't long before her breathing evened out and she was fast asleep.

"Sweet dreams, Kagome." Inuyasha kissed the top of her head and returned to looking at the stars, a small smile spread across his face.

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Alright, alright!! I guess there is going to be another chapter, and THEN the epilogue! So sit tight and I'll have this updated again in no time! I have to wrap up all the loose ends in the next update, so please be patient, it might take a while for me to read over what I've got and fix some things! I hope you liked this chappie, and if you have any questions, comments, or advice I'll gladly accept them in a review! Wow….I write that in every chapter and every story…..I guess I'm starting to sound like a broken record! Oh well, life goes on.

Anywho, I'm really hoping to get one hundred reviews before this is finally over, so please, if you haven't reviewed before, I want to know what you think!! I'd like to get an opinion from everybody, so even if you only have a word to put in I'll be excited that you made the effort! Gah, I know I should stop making one-shots, because over half of them are suppose to be getting epilogues!! Grr….I need to stop offering them….anywho, if you took the time to read this please put 'Treasure' somewhere in your review!! Thanks again, and when I'm finally done I'm going to dedicate my last update to all you wonderful reviews!! So until next time, valete!

Mistoffelees Shadow


	13. I am Horribly Sorry

Authors Note

Okay people, I have lost my motivation for this fic. I'm really sorry it took me so freaking long to make up my mind about working on it, but my spark that drives me is gone! I'm having a major case of writers block here, and I curse it. Especially since I'm almost done! So for now I'm putting this on hiatus until I work out the kinks and such.

It would be really great if I had a beta to help me out, because then I could finish this SO much faster!! Anybody who's interested in being my beta just gimme a heads up. Thanks a bunch you guys for dealing with my procrastination and rare updates! I'm sorry to leave you hanging like this, and I'll try to get back here as soon as I can!

Huggles and thanks,

Mistoffelees Shadow


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